Life is Beautiful
by IndyGirl89
Summary: Elsa's happy; she's finally living the life she's always dreamed of: loving sister, devoted wife, and now beloved mother. Nothing can spoil her happiness. But then Bella comes down with a strange and mysterious illness. Will Elsa and her family be able to save her, or will Elsa's perfect world come crashing down? (Sequel to "Opening New Doors" and "Family Ties".)
1. Family

**Well, I didn't think it would happen, but here it is, the "official" sequel to "Opening New Doors"! I know, I said I wasn't going to do a full-length sequel, but I finally came up with an idea! It was actually pretty easy for me to start, and then I got more and more inspired and just kept going! So, here's chapter one. Now, in case you're confused, this takes place about a year after "Opening New Doors", which would make it six years after Frozen. Here are the ages of the main characters (since I never really told you in any of the prequels), from oldest to youngest: Fredrik - 35, Elsa - 27, Kristoff - 27, Anna - 24, Kirsten - 3, Bella-Grace - 1, Susanna - 1 month. Now, it seems that Fredrik is a little old to just have one daughter who's only a year old, so I'll explain. In my personal canon, I put two years between each Southern Isles prince. I made Fredrik number ten, which would make him six years older than Hans, the youngest. According to director Jennifer Lee, Hans is about two years older than Elsa, which would then make Fredrik eight years older than Elsa. Got it? Good. :) Anyway, hope you enjoy this first chapter, and please review! DISCLAIMER: I do not own Frozen or any of its characters. But I do own my OCs.**

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**Chapter 1: Family**

The morning sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the kingdom of Arendelle in a misty orange glow. The few villagers already out and about stopped for a moment to enjoy the beautiful sunrise before returning to what they had been doing. The bright orange globe rose higher in the clear, cerulean sky, illuminating Arendelle Castle and sending sparkles of light dancing across the smooth, calm surface of the fjord. Only one of the castle's inhabitants was awake early enough to enjoy it.

Queen Elsa woke slowly, enjoying the warmth of the early morning sun before opening her eyes. She heard soft breathing beside her and turned her head to see her husband, Fredrik, who was still sleeping peacefully. She smiled and watched him for a few moments, playing with the dark brown curls that rested on his forehead, before sitting up slowly and brushing her hair out of her eyes. The loose it had been tied in had come undone sometime during the night. It fell in a tangled mess down her back. Her morning bed head was horrible, but it was nothing compared to Anna's. Hers was a rat's nest, to put it lightly.

She heard a noise from the other side of the room and turned to see her one-year-old daughter, Bella (short for Bella-Grace), sitting up in her crib. Smiling, she got up, being careful not to disturb Fredrik, donned her icy blue robe, and went over to her.

"Good morning, my little snowflake," she said softly, smiling down at her.

Bella didn't say anything, but she held her arms out, and Elsa picked her up. Even though she was now old enough to be in her own room, especially now that there was one prepared for her just down the hall, Elsa hadn't had the heart to move her just yet.

"They're only this age for a short time," she'd explained to Fredrik while rocking Bella to sleep one night. "I want to enjoy every minute I can."

Fredrik had smiled, but hadn't said anything. He knew it was no good to argue.

Elsa started swaying gently back and forth, enjoying this rare, stolen moment with her daughter.

"Do you know how much I love you?" she said quietly, looking down into Bella's big blue eyes. "I love you very much. So does your papa, Auntie Anna, Uncle Kristoff, and cousin Kirsten. We all love you very much." She gently kissed the top of Bella's head, which was covered in beautiful dark brown curls, just like her father's.

"And I love you very much," said a deep, husky voice right in her ear. The owner of the voice then started trailing kisses down her neck.

Elsa smiled and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against his chest. "Mmm," she hummed, enjoying the sensation. That is, until Fredrik started nipping her neck. "Fredrik!" she squealed. She put Bella back down in her crib and turned around to face him. Before she could playfully scold him, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her in for a passionate kiss.

When they broke apart, they were both breathless. "Good morning," he said, smiling down at her.

"Good morning," she said, smiling back, still a little breathless from the kiss.

"Sleep all right?" Fredrik asked, arms still circling her.

"Surprisingly, yes," said Elsa, looping her arms around his neck. "Better than I have in weeks. How about you?"

"Like a baby," said Fredrik, and he kissed her again.

"Oh, really?" said Elsa teasingly once they had broken apart.

"Mmhmm," said Fredrik, trailing more kisses down her neck.

"Are you hungry?" Elsa asked, as Fredrik moved from her neck down to her collarbone.

"Not anymore," Fredrik answered, too preoccupied with what he was doing to register what Elsa was saying.

"I mean for breakfast," said Elsa, gently pulling his head up so she could look at him properly.

"Oh, that," said Fredrik, as though it was an afterthought. "I'm starving, actually."

"You could have fooled me," said Elsa, smiling and pecking him on the cheek before going over to her wardrobe.

"What are you doing?" Fredrik asked, crossing his arms and grinning at her.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I usually like to get dressed before going down to breakfast," said Elsa, smiling and taking a powder-blue dress out of her wardrobe. "Could you get Bella dressed, please?" She then stepped behind the changing screen.

Fredrik chuckled before turning back around and gently lifting Bella out of her crib.

"There's my baby girl," he said, settling his daughter on his hip.

Bella looked up at him and smiled. She then reached up with one small hand and patted his cheek. "Papa," she said.

"That's right, sweetheart," Fredrik said, smiling down at her. "I'm your papa." He kissed her on the cheek and said, "Now, let's get you dressed before your mama comes out and scolds me."

He walked over to the wardrobe and picked out a dress similar to the one Elsa has taken out for herself and proceeded to dress her. Ten minutes later, however, he wasn't having much luck, in which time, Elsa had finished dressing and come back around the changing screen. She stood watching them for a minute while she brushed and braided her hair, but when it looked like Fredrik wasn't getting anywhere, she stepped in to help.

"You have to unbutton it first," said Elsa, trying not to laugh.

"Well, then, love," said Fredrik, smirking. "Since you're such an expert, why don't you show me how it's done?"

"Fine," said Elsa flippantly, giving him a playful nudge. She took Bella's dress, unbuttoned it, and slipped it over her head. She then put stockings and shoes on her and brushed her hair.

"There's my pretty girl," said Elsa, smiling and kissing her daughter's cheek.

"Ready?" said Fredrik from behind her. She turned and saw that he had changed into dark pants and shoes, and a green vest over a long-sleeved white shirt. The color of his vest really made his green eyes stand out. But Elsa didn't mind; Fredrik's eyes were her favorite feature.

"Absolutely," said Elsa, picking Bella up and settling her on her hip.

"Should we wake your sister and Kristoff?" Fredrik asked, following her out of the room.

Elsa thought for a moment, then said, "No, let's let them sleep. I'm sure they're exhausted, what with the new baby and all."

Fredrik nodded, agreeing. Just a few weeks ago, Anna and Kristoff had been blessed with another beautiful baby girl, Susanna, so they needed all the sleep they could get. At first, Kirsten had been excited to be a big sister, but once Susanna was born and Kirsten realized she couldn't do anything with her right away, she started to get bored with her, much like Elsa had when Anna was born. The little girl was just like her mother; impatient and antsy, and didn't like sitting still for too long. She was always a bouncing ball of energy.

Elsa and Fredrik started making their way down the hall, but before they had reached the stairs, they heard running feet and a little voice calling their names.

"Auntie Elsa! Uncle Fwedwik!"

They turned and saw Kirsten, their three-year-old niece, running towards them, barefoot and still wearing her pink nightgown. Her curly blonde hair was a tangled mess just past her shoulders. It appeared she had inherited her mother's morning bed head. When Bella, who was still in her mother's arms, saw her cousin, she squealed happily. Apparently, the two had a special friendship, very much like their mothers. "Kiss! Kiss!" she said, which was her way of saying Kirsten's name.

"Good morning, my sunshine," said Elsa, smiling down at her. "Sunshine" had been Elsa's special nickname for her niece. From the day Kirsten was born, the two had shared a special bond. Elsa had given her that nickname because she had inherited her mother's personality: always bright and cheerful, and lighting up every room she walked into. "Why are you still in your nightgown?"

"Um, well, Mama helps me dwess, but she's a sleeping wock now," said Kirsten.

Elsa and Fredrik looked at each other, confused. Elsa handed Bella to him so she could kneel down in front of Kirsten and look her in the eye. "What do you mean, sweetie?" she asked.

"That's what Papa said," said Kirsten matter-of-factly, as though it was obvious. "Mama's a wock when she sleeps. Does that mean she turns into a wock like Gwamma Bulda and Gwampa Cliff?"

Elsa chuckled, for she knew exactly what Kirsten was trying to say. It was common knowledge that the trolls, who had adopted Kristoff when he was eight, slept in rock form. Kirsten must have gotten the phrase "sleeps like a rock" mixed up with Kristoff's adoptive parents. "No, sweetie, it doesn't mean that your mama turns into a rock while sleeping," said Elsa, trying to think of the simplest words she could so Kirsten would understand. "It just means that your mama's a heavy sleeper."

"Oh," said Kirsten. She puckered up her lips, as if she was thinking. The overall effect was rather cute. "She gets heavy when she seeps?"

Elsa chuckled again. "Well," she said, lowering her voice so only Kirsten could hear her. "Since your mama and papa are still sleeping, how about I make you something special to wear today?"

"Yay!" said Kirsten, jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

"Elsa, are you sure it's okay?" Fredrik asked her, shifting Bella so he could lay a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be fine," said Elsa, and she stood up. "Ready, sweetie?" she asked Kirsten.

"Uh-huh!" said Kirsten, still bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Okay, but you have to stand still," said Elsa, and Kirsten stopped bouncing. "Good girl. Now close your eyes."

"Why?" Kirsten asked.

"Because I want it to be a surprise," said Elsa, smiling.

Kirsten obeyed, and Elsa then twirled her fingers. Sparkles of ice and snow swirled gently around Kirsten, tickling her face and making her giggle. Soon, the ice and snow dissipated, and in place of her pink nightgown was a short-sleeved floaty blue dress made of shimmering ice crystals.

"I so pwetty!" said Kirsten, giggling and twirling. The dress was just long enough to swirl around her ankles. It caught the sunlight and sparkled like diamonds.

"What's all the commotion?" said a voice behind them.

They all turned and saw Kristoff walking towards them, lopsided grin in place and fully dressed in dark pants and dark blue vest over a long-sleeved, light-blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was also wearing his red sash and ice harvester boots. His blonde hair was a little tousled from sleep, but he appeared wide awake.

"Papa!" said Kirsten, running over to him and jumping into his arms.

"Well, good morning," Kristoff said as Kirsten squeezed him in a hug.

"Papa! Look what Auntie Elsa made me!" Kirsten said, twirling around so he could see her new dress.

"I see," said Kristoff, smiling again.

"Do you like it?" Kirsten asked.

"I love it," said Kristoff, picking her up. Anna was always saying that Kirsten was too big to be picked up and carried around anymore, but Kristoff didn't care. Kirsten loved being held. She was quite the snuggler, and she loved snuggling with her papa. But most especially, she loved snuggling with her Aunt Elsa. "It sparkles just like your eyes. Now, did you thank your Auntie Elsa for making you such a pretty dress?"

"Oh!" said Kirsten, squirming out of her father's arms and running to give Elsa a hug. "Thank you, Auntie Elsa!"

"You're welcome, Sunshine," said Elsa, hugging back. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Auntie Elsa," said Kirsten. Then she ran over and hugged Fredrik. "I love you, Uncle Fwedwik."

Fredrik chuckled and hugged her as best he could while still holding Bella. "I love you, too, sweetheart."

"And I love you, too, Bella," said Kirsten.

But all Bella could say was, "Kiss! Kiss!"

"Is Anna awake yet?" Elsa asked Kristoff.

"She is, but she's feeding Susanna right now," Kristoff answered. "She said not to wait for her and that she'll join us when she's finished."

"Aw, but I wanna show Mama my new dwess," said Kirsten, pouting a little.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you'll have to wait a bit, okay?" said Kristoff.

"Okay," said Kirsten.

"Well, in that case, shall we all go down?" Elsa asked. Kirsten ran forward to hold Elsa's hand while they all made their way down to the family's private dining room.

When they arrived, they saw that five places had been set for them. There was a high chair situated near the head of the table where Elsa and Fredrik sat and there was a raised seat between Anna and Kristoff's usual chairs. Elsa put Bella in the high chair before sitting down at the head of the table, with Fredrik to her left and Kristoff and Kirsten to her right.

A few minutes after they were all seated, a door at the other end of the room opened and Gerda came bustling in, carrying a tray laden with bowls, four of which were steaming. She set the steaming bowls down in front of the three adults and Kirsten and set the other bowl down in front of Elsa. She disappeared through the door and came back a moment later with a jug of orange juice and a platter of pastries, which she set down in the middle of the table.

"Thank you, Gerda," said Elsa, smiling at her. "That will be all for now."

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Gerda, bobbing a curtsy before disappearing behind the door again.

For the next few moments, there was no sound other than the clinking of spoons against bowls and Bella's happy squeals as Elsa fed her her cereal. It was still a little warm for her, so Elsa cooled down each spoonful with a bit of her magic before giving it to her.

"Auntie Elsa?" Kirsten piped up suddenly.

"Yes, Sunshine?" Elsa asked, continuing to feed Bella.

"Why can't Bella eat oatmeal like us?" Kirsten asked.

"Because it's too hot for her and she's too little yet," Elsa answered, spooning more cereal into Bella's open mouth. She squealed and banged her little hands on the tray, which was her of saying "more".

"Oh," said Kirsten, and she fell silent again.

Several more minutes passed in silence. Elsa finished feeding Bella and lifted her out of her high chair and settled her on her lap while she finished eating. Kirsten finished shortly after and asked if she could play with her cousin. Elsa gave permission and set Bella gently on the floor by Kirsten.

They were almost finished eating by the time Anna finally came ambling in. She was fully dressed and her hair was brushed and braided. Aside from the fact that she looked wide awake, there were dark circles under her eyes. It looked like she hadn't slept in days.

"Good morning, Anna," said Elsa, smiling at her sister.

"Morning," said Anna.

"Where's Susanna?" Elsa asked.

"Upstairs," Anna answered. "She's sleeping again."

"How's she doing so far?" Elsa asked.

"Oh, she's great!" said Anna. "She's the complete opposite of Kirsten. She hardly ever fusses, except when she needs to be fed or changed. You know, I think she takes after you, Elsa."

"And why wouldn't she?" Elsa asked, smiling cheekily at her sister. "Is someone with her right now?"

"I've got Nanny Hanne looking after her." Nanny Hanne was an older woman who had been Anna and Elsa's nanny when they were little, up until the gates had been closed. Anna had somehow managed to track her down and asked her if she would like to return as nanny for her and Elsa's children. Nanny Hanne had been only too happy to oblige. "I just needed a little break." She started making her way around the table, trying to hide a big yawn behind her hand.

"Anna, are you okay?" Kristoff asked, suddenly standing up, a concerned look etched on his face. "You look exhausted."

"I'm fine," Anna answered, waving a hand dismissively. "Being a mother of two is just hard work, is all."

"Anna, are you sure?" Elsa asked, her expression matching Kristoff's. "Maybe you should go lie down some more."

"Elsa, I said I'm fine," said Anna, now sounding a little exasperated. "Mothering just takes a lot out of me. You're a mother now; you know what it's like."

Elsa opened her mouth to say more, but Fredrik gently laid a hand on her arm and shook his head. Elsa seemed to guess the silent message he was sending her and she closed it.

Anna reached her chair and shared a quick kiss with Kristoff, but before she could sit down, Kirsten came running over from where she'd been playing a clapping game with Bella.

"Mama! Mama!" she cried happily. Before Anna could brace herself, Kirsten barreled into her and hugged her legs so tightly that she almost overbalanced. She caught herself on the chair just in time.

"Good morning, my little angel," Anna said, hugging her back as best she could given the position she was in.

"Mama, look at my pwetty new dwess!" Kirsten broke away from her mother and twirled around, sending rainbows of sparkles dancing around the room.

"It's very pretty," said Anna, smiling at her. "Where did you get such a pretty dress?"

"Auntie Elsa made it!" said Kirsten, pointing at Elsa.

Anna looked at her sister, surprised. "You made this for Kirsten?" she asked.

"Guilty," said Elsa, smiling back. "You two were still sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you."

"No, no, it's okay," said Anna. "As long as she's happy." She smiled again as Kirsten continued twirling around the room before finally sitting down next to Kristoff.

A minute later, Gerda came bustling in with a bowl of oatmeal for Anna. Either she had sensed that Anna had just come in or she had been listening from the other side of the door. Anna seriously thought it was the latter; the older woman could be so sneaky sometimes.

"Thank you, Gerda," she said, smiling at her.

"You're welcome, Your Highness," said Gerda, curtsying. She then made her way over to the other side of the table, where she stopped next to Fredrik. "Excuse me, sir, this letter just arrived for you from the Southern Isles."

"Really?" said Fredrik, setting his juice glass down and taking the letter from her. "Thank you, Gerda."

"You're welcome, sir," said Gerda, and she curtsied again before leaving.

Fredrik broke the wax seal and unfolded the single sheet of parchment. His expression of curiosity turned to one of great pleasure.

"Good news?" Elsa asked, smiling.

"Very good news," said Fredrik happily, looking up at her and grinning. "The letter is from my brother, King Anders. He and Queen Cathrine heard about the birth of Princess Susanna and they wish to celebrate with us. They're coming for a visit."

"Really?" Anna squealed.

"That's great," said Kristoff, smiling.

"Fredrik, that's wonderful!" said Elsa, and she looked genuinely happy at this news. "I've been looking forward to seeing your sister-in-law again. When will they be arriving?"

Fredrik scanned the letter. "He doesn't say," he said.

"Well, that doesn't give us much time, then," said Elsa, standing up. "A week at most. Unless they've already left, which means we have even less time." She started heading for the door.

"Elsa, where are you going?" Fredrik asked, turning his head so he could keep her in sight.

"I need to talk to Gerda about getting a room ready," Elsa answered. She was wringing her hands, something she always did when under pressure. A few snowflakes sparked from her fingertips. "As they're special guests, I think they should stay with us in our private wing. They could have my parents' chambers. But then, those rooms have been closed off for several years, so they will need a lot of cleaning and airing out."

"Elsa, don't worry," said Fredrik, standing up and taking her hands in his. "We'll have everything ready before they get here."

"I know, but it's actually getting it done that has me all stressed out," said Elsa.

"Well, I think I might have a solution to that," said Fredrik, kissing her palm and smirking knowingly at her.

"Oh, really?" said Elsa, narrowing her eyes playfully at him.

"Yes, really," said Fredrik, and he put his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. Elsa looped hers around his neck and he deepened it.

Behind them, Anna and Kristoff exchanged a look. Anna smirked at him and he rolled his eyes. She then pointed at the door and he nodded. Anna stood up and, seeing as Elsa and Fredrik were preoccupied, scooted around them and picked up Bella.

"Well," said Anna, settling Bella on her hip. "Since you two lovebirds are otherwise occupied, I think we'll go for a walk. Come along, Kirsten." She held out her hand, but Kirsten didn't move.

"But I wanna stay with Auntie Elsa and Uncle Fwedwik," she said, pouting.

"Well, your aunt and uncle are a little busy right now," said Kristoff, standing up. "You can see them later. Now be a good girl and do what your mama tells you."

"Okay," said Kirsten, and she ran forward to take her mother's hand. Together, the four of them left the room and disappeared down the hall.

It was at least another whole minute before Elsa and Fredrik broke apart, and when they did, they were surprised to find the room empty, save for the two of them.

"Well," said Fredrik, looking around the room. "It would appear we're alone."

"Appears so," said Elsa, resting her head on his chest.

"Well, love, we still have an hour before our first meeting," said Fredrik, smiling at her. "What would you like to do?"

"Hmm," said Elsa thoughtfully, as Fredrik proceeded to kiss her neck. "We could start getting my parents' room ready for your brother and sister-in-law's arrival."

Fredrik groaned in protest, his mouth still preoccupied.

"Or we could maybe go up to our room and take a little nap?" said Elsa. Fredrik pulled away from her and saw that she was smiling. Knowing what she meant, he smiled back and kissed her again.

"I take it you prefer the second choice, then," said Elsa once they had broken apart.

"You know me too well," said Fredrik, smiling at her. He then scooped her up in his arms, eliciting a squeal from her, and proceeded to carry her bridal style all the way up to their room. Once outside their door, he kissed her again. Somehow, Fredrik managed to open the door while still holding Elsa. Lips still locked together, he carried her inside and slammed the door behind them.

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**Whew, that was a long one! But I have to say it makes a great start to the story. I hope I didn't bore you with all the dialogue and fluff. I just wanted to re-introduce the characters. Don't worry, things will pick up later on.  
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**Now, I don't know how long this story will be or where it's going to take me, but I hope you'll join me on this wild ride into the as yet great unknown. :)**

**Thanks for reading! Another chapter coming soon! :)**


	2. A Royal Visit

**Hey guys, I apologize for the late update. I really don't know what took me so long. I did have a little bit of trouble, but other than that, I have no good excuse. Oh, wait, I do. I've been obsessing over the new stills from "Frozen Fever" that Disney released just the other day. :) Anyway, here it is, chapter 2! It's a bit long, but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the reviews, faves, and follows so far! I hope this story satisfies your requests for a sequel. Again, hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing! :)**

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**Chapter 2: A Royal Visit**

The next few days were spent preparing for the arrival of the king and queen of the Southern Isles. As Fredrik wasn't sure when they'd be arriving, Elsa decided to start preparing a room for them the very next day. As they were very special guests, they deserved the very best the castle had to offer. After some careful deliberation (which she tried to talk herself out of numerous times), Elsa finally settled on setting them up in the late king and queen's chambers. She had made the suggestion to Anna, who had enthusiastically agreed, and insisted that they started preparing it as soon as possible. So that's why today, the day after the letter came, found the two sisters outside the doors to their parents' bedroom.

"Well, here we are!" said Anna, trying to be happy for Elsa's sake. But the truth was, she was a little nervous about entering their parents' room. Would it bring back painful memories? "Are you ready?"

Elsa stared at the door, apprehension and anxiety twisting in her stomach at the thought of what she was about to do. "I-I don't know," she said shakily, twisting her hands together and causing small snowflakes to spark from her fingertips.

"Elsa, this was your idea," said Anna, looking a bit concerned one second but then brightening up the next. "Tell you what; why don't we open them together?"

"Okay," said Elsa, a little hesitantly.

Anna grasped one handle and Elsa grasped the other.

"Ready?" said Anna. "On three. One….…two….three."

They pushed both doors open and immediately their noses were assaulted with dust and the musty smell of a room that hadn't been used in many years. Sheets covered some of the furniture and what wasn't covered by sheets sat under an inch of dust. The curtains that were drawn over the large window were damp and musty.

Anna coughed as she stepped further into the room. "Wow. Dusty," she said. She ran a finger along their mother's old vanity table and scrunched her face up when she saw the amount of dust on it.

"Well, this room hasn't been used in nine years," said Elsa. She was still standing in the doorway, her arms wrapped around her middle.

"Has it been that long already?" Anna asked quietly. She was now running her hand along one of the posts of the large four poster bed. She then moved over to the wardrobe and opened the doors. She was surprised to find it empty. "Where are all of Mama's clothes?" Actually, now that she looked around, she saw that almost all her parents' personal items had been removed. She turned questioning eyes to Elsa.

It's amazing how one simple look could say so much. "I-I had most everything packed and stored away," said Elsa quietly, finally moving forward into the room. But she was moving slowly, as though she was afraid of disturbing something. "A few months after the Great Thaw, while you were out and about somewhere with Kristoff, I forced myself to come in here. I figured it was finally time to put some of my past behind me, so I had Kai and Gerda pack most of Mama and Papa's things away."

"Most?" Anna asked, closing the wardrobe doors and coming back out of the bedroom to stand in front of her sister.

"Yes," said Elsa, smiling sadly. "I saved a few select items for sentimental reasons. I thought you would want something to remember them by."

"Really?" said Anna, smiling. "Like what?"

Before Elsa could answer, there was a knock on the door and Fredrik poked his head in.

"There you are," he said, smiling as he came into the room. "I was wondering where you were hiding."

"We were just looking around and assessing what needs to be cleaned," said Elsa.

"Ah, I see," said Fredrik, looping an arm around Elsa's waist. "And what is your assessment?"

"Well, first, we'll need to have all the bedding washed," Elsa answered. "I will not have our guests sleeping on soiled linen."

"Agreed," said Fredrik. He looped his other arm around her waist and started nuzzling her neck, not really noticing or caring that Anna was still in the room.

"And then we should have the curtains and window washed," Elsa continued. "Lord knows how filthy they must be after all these years."

"Mmhmm," Fredrik mumbled, not really listening.

"And finally, we should uncover and dust the furniture," Elsa finished. "I would kind of like to get the chairs, sofa, and window seat reupholstered, but there's just not enough time." She could feel Fredrik nipping his way down her neck. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Mmhmm," said Fredrik, still preoccupied with her neck.

"What did I just say?" Elsa asked.

"Bedding, curtains, chairs," Fredrik mumbled again.

"What about them?" Elsa asked. She felt Fredrik work his way down to her shoulder.

"I don't remember," said Fredrik, and she felt him smile against her neck.

"You weren't listening," said Elsa, turning to face him with an exasperated look on her face. Fredrik was still smiling, which almost made her more infuriated.

"Well, I can only concentrate on one—" he kissed her forehead "—thing—" he kissed her eyelids "—at a time." He kissed her softly on the lips.

"Whenever you two lovebirds are finished," said Anna from behind them.

Elsa turned and saw Anna standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed and wearing a smirk.

"Well, I've got some things to see to about our guests," said Fredrik. "I'll see you later." He took Elsa's hand and kissed her palm before leaving the two sisters alone again.

Elsa looked back at Anna, who was still smirking. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," said Anna, but Elsa wasn't convinced.

"No, really, what?" she asked again.

"I was just thinking how cute you two look together, that's all," said Anna, shrugging.

"Anna," said Elsa, trying not to sound exasperated, but it was hard, especially with her sister. "We are the queen and prince consort, not two love struck teenagers. There is nothing cute about it. Sweet, maybe, but not cute."

"Whatever you say," said Anna, shrugging again. "Now come on, don't we have work to do?"

Elsa rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

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The next couple of days were spent cleaning the late king and queen's room and preparing it for the arrival of the king and queen of the Southern Isles. After assessing everything that needed to be done, Elsa had Gerda and a few other servants start right away. First, the large bed was stripped of the soiled linen and replaced with fresh ones, then the curtains were taken down to be cleaned and the window was washed. The servants that were left started removing the sheets from the furniture so they could be dusted and polished. It was already starting to look like it did when Anna and Elsa's parents had still been alive and using it, but there was still some work to go yet. The curtains would take at least a day to be washed, dried, and pressed before being hung back up and the polishing of the furniture would take at least a couple more days. Elsa hadn't been entirely happy upon learning how much time it would actually take and was starting to get frazzled, worrying that the room wouldn't be ready by the time their special guests arrived. It also didn't help that Kirsten kept popping in what seemed like every five minutes to talk to Elsa or show her what she had found while playing outside.

On one particular morning, about three days after the letter had arrived, Kirsten came running into the room where both Anna and Elsa were supervising the polishing of the furniture. She was breathing hard from running so fast, but she had an excited look on her face.

"Mama! Auntie Elsa! You has to come quick!" she said between breaths.

"What is it, angel?" Anna asked, bending down so she was eye to eye with her daughter.

"It's Bella!" said Kirsten, as though that explained everything. Anna looked up at Elsa, who looked a little worried, as though she already knew something was wrong. She looked back down at Kirsten.

"What about Bella?" Anna asked.

"I can't tell you, you has to come see!" said Kirsten, and she started pulling on her mother's hand.

"Well, where is she?" Anna asked.

"In the nursery! Come on!" Kirsten pulled harder. Anna stood up and followed her out of the room, Elsa close behind them.

On their way there, they ran into Kristoff and Fredrik, who had apparently been taking a walk around the castle.

"Papa! Uncle Fwedwik!" said Kirsten, skidding to a halt in front of them and almost knocking them over.

"Whoa, slow down there!" said Fredrik, catching her just in time.

"Papa, you gotta come see Bella!" said Kirsten, pulling on Kristoff's arm.

"What about Bella?" Kristoff asked.

"You has to come see!" said Kristen, pulling him harder.

Kristoff looked at Anna, who looked just as confused as he did. "She wouldn't tell us either," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Kristoff looked back down at Kirsten. "Okay, sweetheart, let's go see Bella," he said, and he allowed himself to be dragged down the hall.

Fredrik caught up with Elsa and pulled her back a bit so that they were out of earshot of the others. "Elsa, what is this about?" he whispered.

"I don't know, but I have a suspicion," Elsa whispered back. She had a worried look on her face. Fredrik seemed to guess what she was thinking and took her hand in his. He squeezed it gently and gave her a reassuring smile, which she tried to return. They hurried to catch up with Anna, Kristoff, and Kirsten.

"Where's Susanna?" Anna was asking Kristoff.

"Sleeping in our room," Kristoff answered, trying to slow Kirsten down but not having much luck. "I checked on her a little bit ago."

"Sleeping again?" Anna asked. "She seems to do nothing but sleep."

"Well, she takes after her mother," said Kristoff cheekily, earning him a punch on the arm from Anna.

"Is someone with her?" Anna asked.

"Gerda is," Kristoff answered.

"Good," Anna sighed in relief. "I hate to think what would happen if we left her alone, especially after what happened with Kirsten at her age."

Kristoff didn't answer. He knew very well what Anna was talking about. When Kirsten was a month old, the same age as Susanna was now, she had been kidnapped by their old enemy, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, Fredrik's youngest brother. Elsa had at first been somewhat hesitant to trust Fredrik with helping them find Kirsten, but he really proved himself when he found and captured his brother. They had taken Hans to his oldest brother, King Anders, where he was sentenced to life-long imprisonment. Shortly after arriving back in Arendelle, they had received a letter stating that Hans had been shipped off to an island prison. Thankfully, they had not heard anything of him since.

Kirsten stopped abruptly outside a doorway and Kristoff, too lost in his thoughts to notice where they were going, almost ran into her. He looked up and saw that they had reached the nursery.

Bella was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, surrounded by toys. But she wasn't playing with them. She was playing with something in her hands. They couldn't quite make out what it was, but it sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the window. Whatever it was had a definite, almost familiar shape to it.

Anna gasped, seeming to have guessed what it was. "Are those–?"

"Snowflakes," Elsa finished in a hushed voice.

Anna turned to her sister, shock still apparent on her face. "So that means—?"

"Yes," said Elsa, again finishing Anna's thought. It was what she had feared most before Bella was born. It looked like her daughter had inherited her mother's powers. Elsa went over to Bella and picked her up, Bella still making tiny snowflakes with her fingers. She looked back at Fredrik, whose face mirrored her own; it was a mix of fear and worry. "Fredrik, what are we going to do? Your brother and sister-in-law will be arriving any day and right now, we're the only ones who know about Bella's powers."

"I'll tell you what we're going to do," said Fredrik, walking over to her and wrapping both her and Bella in his strong arms. "We're not going to worry. It's like Anna said before Bella was born; we will help her learn to control it. For right now, we'll just take it one day at a time. And you never know; her powers may not be as strong as yours."

Elsa closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest. "I hope you're right," she whispered.

Fredrik gently kissed the top of her head. "Me too, love," he whispered back. "Me too."

* * *

About a week after King Anders' letter had arrived, the late king and queen's bedroom was ready for the impending guests. The bed had been stripped and made up with fresh bedding and linen, the furniture had been dusted and polished, and fresh curtains hung at the large window, which had been opened to let in the warm summer breeze. Now that everything was ready, Elsa could finally relax. The last week had been stressful, what with getting a room ready on time and trying to cope with Bella's new-found powers. Thankfully, they weren't strong yet, but it was only a matter of time before her magic fully revealed itself. It was a day Elsa dreaded, and it left her in a state of almost constant worry. Her family, especially Anna, kept reassuring her that they would do everything to help, and though Elsa appreciated their words of comfort, they did little to ease her worries, something she made the mistake of telling Anna one night after Kirsten, Bella, and Susanna were in bed.

"You remember what I told you a few months before Bella was born?" Anna asked her. She was sitting on Elsa's bed, something she had done when she was little and had taken up again just after the Great Thaw. "About what you would do if she would have powers?"

Elsa picked at a loose thread in the blanket, not looking at Anna. Finally, she said quietly, "I-I would tell her that it's okay to have powers and that she shouldn't be afraid of them and that there is nothing but beauty in them."

"Exactly," said Anna, smiling at her. "And you said yourself just after Bella was born that you'd love her no matter what."

Elsa looked up at her, suddenly remembering. She had said that. It had been after Kristoff had asked her if Bella had powers yet. She had said no, that it probably wouldn't be apparent for a year or two, but she would love her no matter what. Even though she hated to admit it, Anna was right about so many things, and this was one of them.

"Elsa?" said Anna, looking at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

Elsa focused on her. "Yes, just thinking," she answered.

"You think too much," Anna teased, smiling.

"And you don't think enough," said Elsa, teasing right back.

"Hey!" said Anna, crossing her arms and pouting.

"Well, it's true," said Elsa, shrugging her shoulders.

"I know," said Anna. "But life's too short to be constantly worrying about anything and everything."

Elsa didn't say anything, but she didn't have to; she knew Anna was right. She did worry too much. But wasn't that a mother's job, to worry about her children and make sure they were okay? Maybe she needed a distraction, a happy one that could push her worries aside, even if for a just a few days. Luckily enough, just such a distraction arrived the very next day at the breakfast table.

The royal family was just finishing their usual breakfast of oatmeal and pastries, Elsa and Fredrik at the head of the table with Bella between them in her high chair, Anna and Kristoff to their right with Kirsten between them in her raised seat, and baby Susanna nestled in her mother's arms, when the servants' door opened and Gerda bustled in. Her cheeks were red and she was puffing; she had obviously been running. Elsa noticed and stood up.

"Gerda, what is it?" she asked. She felt Fredrik stand up next to her.

"Your Majesty," said Gerda breathlessly. "The captain of the guard sighted a ship bearing the colors of the Southern Isles coming into the harbor."

"Really?" said Anna excitedly, standing up carefully so as not to jostle Susanna.

"Are you sure?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Gerda replied. "The captain said the ship should be making port in less than an hour."

"Well, that doesn't give us much time, then, does it?" said Elsa, smiling in spite of herself. "Gerda, could you take the girls upstairs, please? I believe it's Nanny Hanne's day off, so could you help get them ready for our visitors?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Gerda, bobbing a curtsy. Elsa handed Bella over and Kristoff got Kirsten down from her chair. She ran over to Gerda and grabbed her hand.

"Why do I hafta change?" they heard her ask Gerda on their way out the door.

"Because today is a very special day," they heard Gerda answer before they disappeared into the hallway.

"Well, I think we're going to go get ready," said Anna. She nudged Kristoff with her elbow and he also stood up. "We'll meet you guys down at the docks."

"Yes, we'll be there," said Elsa. "And try not to take too long getting ready." She smirked at Anna.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Anna loftily, sticking her nose in the air.

"Uh-huh, sure," said Elsa, still smiling. "We'll see you down there shortly."

Anna still tried to look affronted on her way out, but she ruined the effect by smiling. Kristoff looked at Elsa and shrugged his shoulders as if to say "That's your sister" before following suit.

Elsa just shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know what to do with her some days," she said.

"Sometimes, I wish had had a sister like her," said Fredrik, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "It wasn't until I met her that I realized how different my life might have been if I had had at least one sister."

"Really?" Elsa asked, looking up at him.

"Really," said Fredrik, smiling down at her. "You two are obviously very close. I was never that close with any of my brothers, especially _him_." A dark look suddenly came over his face.

Elsa knew exactly who "him" was. "Well, you know, we're closer than close," she said. "We're all each other has. Besides you and Kristoff and the girls, of course." She smiled cheekily.

"Gee, thanks," Fredrik said teasingly. "Now then." He put his other arm around her waist and pulled her close. "We have a little time before we have to meet your family down at the docks. What do you think we should do?"

"I think we should get ready to welcome our guests," Elsa answered, pulling away from him. "We are _the_ royal couple, after all. Now, let's go." She took his hand and started leading him out of the room.

"Oh, why do you always have to spoil the moment?" Fredrik asked, pouting like he was a little boy. Elsa didn't say anything, but when they got to the docks about a half hour later, Fredrik's hair was dripping wet. It appeared Elsa had frozen his hair and it had thawed on their way down. When Anna saw, she had to stifle a giggle behind her hand. Fredrik gave her a look that said quite plainly, "Don't ask".

They all watched as the ship with the red and black flag pull into port, Kirsten holding her father's hand and jumping up and down in excitement, Susanna being held by her mother, and Bella being held by her mother. Soon, the ship pulled up to the dock, the anchor was cast, and the gangplank was lowered. There was a cry of "All ashore!" before they saw two people disembark and walk towards them. One of them was tall, with handsome features, storm gray eyes, and dark brown hair streaked liberally with gray; the other was shorter and more petite, with fair skin, amber eyes, and reddish-brown hair coiled in a bun at the base of her neck. When the man saw Fredrik, he smiled widely.

"Fredrik!" he boomed jovially. "Good to see you!"

"Good to see you, too, Anders," said Fredrik, also smiling, and the two embraced. They broke apart and Fredrik took a good look at his oldest brother. It had been three years since he had last seen him. His hair had even more gray in it than it did then and there were now a few lines on his handsome face. "Getting old, I see," he said teasingly.

"Hey!" said Anders playfully. "Looks can be deceiving, little brother. I still feel as young as ever."

Fredrik just laughed and then looked at the woman behind his brother.

"Hello, Fredrik," she said, smiling at him.

"Hello, Cathrine," said Fredrik, smiling back. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," said Cathrine, and she walked forward and embraced him tightly. Fredrik gently broke away and gestured around at his family. "You remember my wife, Elsa?"

"Of course," said Cathrine, and she hugged Elsa, too. "It's wonderful to see you, Queen Elsa."

"It's wonderful to see you, too, Queen Cathrine," said Elsa once they had broken apart.

"Oh, enough with the formalities," said Cathrine, waving a hand. "We've known each other long enough. I insist you call me just Cathrine."

"Only if you call me Elsa," said Elsa, smiling.

"All right," said Cathrine, smiling back. "I'm really sorry that we couldn't be here for your and Fredrik's wedding. Anders has been getting more and more work and it's getting harder for him to get away. Plus, I don't usually like travelling by myself."

"That's quite all right," said Elsa. "As I always say, the past is in the past. You're here now, and that's all that matters."

Cathrine smiled again. "And is this your daughter?"

"Yes, this is Bella-Grace," said Elsa, shifting Bella so Cathrine could see her better. "We call her Bella for short."

"Hello, there, pretty girl," said Cathrine to Bella, who just looked at her with her big blue eyes, not sure what to make of this new stranger yet. "You look just like your mother."

"Thank you," said Elsa, smiling.

"Well, it's true," said Anna from behind them, smiling at her.

"Come now, Cathrine, we still have more family to greet," said Anders, smiling before placing an arm around her shoulders and guiding her over to Anna and Kristoff, Fredrik right behind them.

"Of course, you remember Elsa's sister, Anna, and her husband, Kristoff," Fredrik continued.

"Yes, of course. It's wonderful to see you, too, Princess," said Cathrine.

"Oh, please, just Anna will do," said Anna, smiling.

Cathrine smiled back and turned to Kristoff. "Sir Kristoff, always a pleasure," she said, shaking his hand.

"Same here, Your Majesty," said Kristoff, a little uncomfortable at being called "sir". "But just Kristoff is fine."

"All right, Kristoff," said Cathrine, still smiling. "And I'm just Cathrine."

"And I'm Kirsten!" piped a little voice below them.

Cathrine looked down at the speaker and saw a little girl with bright blue eyes and curly blonde hair.

"You're Kirsten?" Cathrine asked, squatting down in front of her.

"Uh-huh!" said Kirsten, bouncing up and down.

"My, my, look how big you are," said Cathrine, smiling at her. "Last time I saw you, you were just a little bitty baby. How old are you now?"

"I'm three!" said Kirsten, smiling and holding up three fingers.

"My, such a grown-up age," said Cathrine, smiling back at her. "And who is this your mama's holding?" She stood up and looked at the bundle in Anna's arms.

"Susanna!" Kirsten said.

"Susanna?" Cathrine asked.

"My new baby sister!" said Kirsten.

"And she is a pretty little girl, too," said Cathrine, peeking at Susanna, who was currently asleep in her mother's arms. "She looks just like her mother."

"That's what everyone says, because she has the same hair color as me," said Anna. "But I think she looks more like Kristoff. She has almost the same face shape, and her eyes are the same color and shape as his. Kirsten looks more like me."

"Oh, yes, I see it now," said Cathrine, looking between the two girls and their parents.

"Well, I bet you're both tired from your long journey," said Elsa, coming over to join them. "I have a room all prepared for you in the family wing. It used to be my parents'."

"Oh, no, we couldn't impose," said Cathrine, raising her hands in protest. "That room is probably special to you. We'll just stay in one of the guest rooms."

"Absolutely not," said Fredrik firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You are family and will be treated as such."

"Well," said Cathrine a little hesitantly. "All right. If you insist."

"I do," said Elsa, shifting Bella so she could loop her arm through Cathrine's. "Now, why don't you and Anders get settled in and rest for a few hours? I'll alert the kitchens and have them prepare a special meal."

"That sounds lovely," said Cathrine, and she allowed Elsa to start leading her up to the castle. The rest of the family followed close behind, with Fredrik and Anders bringing up the rear.

"How did we manage to win the love of two beautiful, wonderful women?" Fredrik asked.

"Pure luck, little brother," Anders answered. "Pure luck."

* * *

That afternoon, the royal family (minus Susanna, who was asleep upstairs being watched by a nursemaid) relaxed in the parlor. Anan and Elsa were on the floor playing with the girls while Kristoff and Fredrik chatted on the sofa. Elsa was making little snowmen with Kirsten and Anna was playing a clapping game with Bella. She got excited and shot a few snowflakes out of her hands. Elsa noticed and shot her a look of worry, but it dissolved almost instantly when she heard Bella squeal happily.

Around six in the evening, there was a knock on the door and Gerda entered, announcing that dinner was ready. Elsa picked up Bella and settled her on her hip and Kristoff picked up Kirsten. Anna opened her mouth to say something, but Elsa quelled her with an icy glare, and she closed it again.

They made their way down to their private dining room, where they found Anders and Cathrine already waiting for them.

"Please, have a seat," said Elsa, smiling. She put Bella in her high chair and sat down. Fredrik sat in his usual place on her left with Anders next to him and Cathrine sat down on her right between her and Anna, who along with Kristoff, was in her usual place with Kirsten on her raised seat between them. "I trust you had a restful afternoon?"

"Oh, yes, thank you," said Cathrine.

"And how are you enjoying your accommodations?" Elsa asked. "Are they comfortable enough?"

"Very much so," Anders replied. "We would like to thank you again for allowing us to stay with you."

"Our pleasure," said Elsa, smiling again. "It's the least we could do after your help three years ago."

At that moment, Gerda came in and started serving. Over steaming bowls of delicious French onion soup, Elsa asked their guests what they thought of Arendelle. Cathrine commented on the beautiful scenery and Anders remarked how quiet it was, much more so than the Southern Isles.

There wasn't much talking during the main meal of roast lamb and boiled potatoes, other than the guests' compliments on how good the food was. After everyone had finished, dessert was served. Tonight's dessert happened to be Anna's favorite: Krumkake, a paper-thin rolled cake filled with whipped cream. Once everyone had been served, the talk turned to family.

"So, Anders," said Fredrik, directing the conversation to his brother. "How are the boys? It's been quite some time since I've seen them."

"Well, they're all grown up now," Anders answered, taking a swig of ale that had been provided by Gerda. "Einar's married to a lovely princess from the Northern Isles, Helene, and they have a young boy, Petter, who's about little Kirsten's age."

"And Ivar?" Fredrik asked.

"Serving his second year in the royal navy," Anders answered.

"Any marriage prospects yet?" Fredrik asked, grinning.

"None that I've heard," Anders replied. "He's courted a couple of young ladies since joining the navy, but he didn't seem to have much interest in them."

"Hmm," said Fredrik thoughtfully.

"Well, either way, you must be proud of them," said Anna, smiling at him. Not surprisingly, she had been the first to finish her Krumkake. She put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. Elsa gave her a patronizing look, but didn't say anything.

"I am, thank you, Princess," said Anders, smiling back at her.

Once everyone had finished eating, they felt very full and sleepy. Kirsten had fallen asleep at the table, so Anna and Kristoff retired early to put her to bed. This time, Anna allowed Kristoff to carry her so they wouldn't have to wake her. Anders and Cathrine followed shortly after. This left Elsa and Fredrik alone with Bella, who had also fallen asleep.

"Alone again," said Fredrik, smiling at Elsa.

"It would appear so," she answered, trying to stifle a yawn behind her hand.

"You okay, love?" Fredrik asked, laying a hand on her arm.

"Just tired," Elsa answered. "It's been a long day."

"Maybe we should go to bed, then," Fredrik suggested.

"But it's still early," Elsa said, looking at the grandfather clock in the corner. "It's not even nine."

"I know," said Fredrik, smiling at her.

Elsa smiled. She knew exactly what he meant. They had only been married two years, but she could already tell what he was thinking. She stood up and stretched. Fredrik gently picked up Bella and cradled her against his chest. They made their way upstairs to their room. Elsa carefully tucked Bella in her bassinet while Fredrik got ready for bed. She then changed into her icy blue nightgown and joined him in their large bed. She snuggled up close to him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"It's going to be nice having company in the castle for a while," said Fredrik. He was resting his chin on Elsa's head.

"Mmhmm," said Elsa sleepily into his chest. Her eyes were closed.

"I love you," Fredrik whispered, kissing her hair.

"I love you, too," Elsa murmured.

Fredrik smiled and closed his eyes. Exhausted from their long day, the royal couple easily fell into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.

* * *

**Wow! That was a long one, too! Sorry if this seems to be dragging right now, but I wanted to re-introduce all my OCs that I decided to put in here and re-familiarize myself with the pre-existing characters (Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff). I know I said this at the end of the previous chapter, but I promise, things will pick up soon. I hope to get the main plot going within the next chapter or two.  
**

**Thanks for reading! Another chapter coming soon! :)**


	3. A Frightening Discovery

**Okay, I'm just going to come right out and say it. I don't know if my old readers will see this, but for any of you new readers, this is not the original "starting" AN for this chapter. I made some minor edits to this and other chapters and I replaced the original of this chapter with the edited one before copying that AN. This is why I try my hardest to avoid making even the most minor grammatical errors, because that means re-typing both my ANs in addition to making any necessary edits and revisions. So, to my old readers, I sincerely apologize. To any new readers, you can simply disregard this note if you wish. **

* * *

**Chapter 3: A Frightening Discovery**

The next day dawned as bright and beautiful as the day before. Elsa leisurely wandered the halls, reveling in the quiet and stillness of early morning. She had been up a little earlier than usual, as she had a trade meeting around mid-morning. The person she was meeting with was Lord Johan Kalberg of the Northern Isles, a new trading partner she had acquired after severing ties with Weselton. They were to discuss trade routes that would be the quickest and most beneficial way to ship various goods. She really didn't want to attend this meeting, what with the visitors and worrying about Bella's new powers, but Anders' letter had arrived a little more than a week before, and it had been too late to reschedule. Besides, this meeting had been scheduled for months before Anders' letter had arrived and Bella had discovered her powers. She would just have to grit her teeth and bear through it as best she could. Since the Great Thaw, she had had no major problems with her own powers, but for safety's sake (since she was now constantly worrying about Bella), she decided to don a pair of gloves just for this meeting. They were one of her thinnest pairs, but they gave her comfort and reassurance all the same.

After a quick breakfast, Elsa made her way to her study. She readied herself by taking a few deep breaths before opening the door and entering. The first thing she saw was a man sitting in one of the hard-backed chairs in front of her desk. He was an older man, with dark hair and eyes, sharp features, and a thin mouth. Judging from his broad chest and shoulders, Elsa guessed that he was powerfully built. When he saw Elsa, he stood and bowed.

"Your Majesty," he said in a strong, clear voice.

"Good morning, Lord Kalberg," said Elsa, inclining her head. "Thank you for meeting with me. I trust you're well?"

"Very well, thank you, Your Majesty," Lord Kalberg replied. "And how is your family?"

"Thriving," Elsa answered, smiling.

"I heard that you have a new niece," said Lord Kalberg, also smiling. "My congratulations to your sister and brother-in-law."

"Thank you," said Elsa, smiling again. "I'm sure they will appreciate that. Shall we get started, then?"

Over the next hour, they discussed which trade routes would be best and which ones should be avoided. When they had that settled, they moved on to the ships; which ones were the fastest and most reliable and which ones needed repair. Finally, they discussed how much goods and supplies Arendelle could afford to export each year. Over the past few years, Arendelle had been very prosperous and the land very fertile, so Elsa made the offer to supply as much goods as the Northern Isles needed whenever they needed it. Lord Kalberg readily agreed, and thus, their meeting was adjourned. Elsa left the study in better spirits than when she had entered. She felt she had made more progress in one meeting with the new trading partner than she could have in a dozen meetings with Weselton. She was glad she had severed ties with them and had not regretted her decision once. Her mother had been right all those years ago; Weselton had only been using their connection with Arendelle for their own personal gain, and the fiasco of her accidental winter had only made things worse.

Elsa was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice where she was going until she turned a corner and ran headlong into someone, causing said person to squeal and topple over backward onto the carpeted floor with a muffled thump.

Elsa blinked and looked down to see Anna sprawled on the floor at her feet, nursing a sore spot on her bottom. "Anna!" she cried, reaching down and helping her sister up. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Anna, wincing a bit as she stood up. "And I'm the one who should be sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"To be honest, neither was I," said Elsa, smiling at her reassuringly.

"Well, that's another thing we have in common," said Anna, shrugging. "So, why are you up so early? I mean, I know it's not early now, but I assume it was early when you got up, because you always get up early, and for some reason, I have this feeling that you were up even earlier this morning."

Elsa chuckled. She loved her sister, but sometimes she could just ramble on and on about the most mundane things. "I had a meeting this morning," she answered.

"Oh, really?" said Anna, genuinely curious despite herself. "With whom?"

"Lord Johan Kalberg of the Northern Isles," Elsa replied. "You know, our new trading partner. We were discussing various subjects of trade. Oh, he wishes to extend his congratulations on Susanna's birth."

"Oh, well, that was nice of him," said Anna, and she tried to stifle a yawn behind her hand. Unfortunately, Elsa noticed.

"You look tired," she said, noticing the dark circles under Anna's eyes. "Were you up early this morning, too?"

"Yeah, Susanna woke up a little earlier than usual for her morning feeding," Anna replied. "When she was finished, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I just got dressed and went for a walk around the castle." Despite her tired state, she noticed something familiar on Elsa's hands. "Um, why are you wearing gloves? You haven't worn any since your coronation."

"Oh," said Elsa, looking down at her gloved hands. "They were just a precaution. You know how worried I've been since Bella discovered her powers. I didn't want anything escaping while I was in an important meeting."

"Oh," said Anna. "So, how'd the meeting go?" She immediately could have kicked herself. When had she become so interested in Elsa's mundane tasks as queen? No, scratch that, she wasn't interested; she was just being polite. Was she?

"Better than expected," Elsa replied, carefully removing her gloves and folding them neatly. "We made more progress in one day with the Northern Isles than we would have in one week with Weselton."

"You mean 'Weaseltown'," said Anna, smirking. "To tell you the truth, I'm quite glad to be rid of him. He was a terrible man. Not to mention a terrible dancer." She grimaced at the memory of the awful dance she had shared with him at Elsa's coronation.

Elsa laughed. "Well, he was sprightly," she said.

"Especially for a man in heels," said Anna, reenacting part of their conversation from that night.

"Anna, I'm sorry I ever made you dance with that horrible man," said Elsa.

"It's okay," said Anna, taking her hands. "If I hadn't danced with him, you'd have been stuck watching is dance moves. If you can call them that."

"I suppose you're right," said Elsa, smiling.

"Mama! Mama!" said a little voice from down the hall.

They turned and saw Kirsten running toward them, barefoot and still wearing her pink nightgown. And knelt down and just managed to catch her as she flew into her arms.

"Good morning, my little angel," she said, hugging her tight. "Why are you still in your nightgown?" She pulled away to look at her daughter.

"Papa twied to dwess me, but I wouldn't let him," said Kirsten.

"You wouldn't let him?" Anna asked, looking up at Elsa and then back at Kirsten. "Why not?"

"Cause I want you to do it," Kirsten said, clasping her littler hands in front of her and twisting back and forth.

Anna smiled. "Well, why don't we go find something together, then?"

"Okay!" said Kirsten, smiling widely.

Anna stood up and held out her hand, which Kirsten took happily. "I guess we'll see you later, Elsa," she said.

"That's all right," said Elsa, smiling. "I should probably check on Bella, anyway."

"Okay," said Anna, and the two sisters went their separate ways.

Elsa made her way back to her and Fredrik's room. Upon opening the door, however, she found that it was empty. Elsa went a little further down the hall to the nursery, but it was also empty. Puzzled, she made her way to the only other place she could think of: the parlor. As she approached it, she could hear voices and laughter. She poked her head around the open door and saw Fredrik, his brother, Anders, and his sister-in-law, Cathrine, who was holding Bella on her lap. She was talking to her and Bella was squealing happily.

There was a break in the conversation and Fredrik looked up. His face broke into a wide grin upon seeing Elsa.

"Hey," he said, opening his arms. Elsa gladly went to him and sat down. Fredrik put his arms around her and held her close. "I missed you," he whispered so only she could hear.

"I missed you, too," Elsa whispered back, and they shared a brief, but tender kiss. "How's she doing?"

She didn't elaborate, but she didn't need to. Fredrik knew who she was talking about. "She's doing fine," he answered.

"Any incidents?" Elsa asked.

"None that I saw," Fredrik replied.

"Good," said Elsa, sighing in relief. She didn't need any more worry. Her entire life up until the Great Thaw had been full of worry, mostly about her powers. Much of that worry had been about hurting Anna. But Bella's powers weren't strong yet. They were safe. For now.

Elsa was so lost in her thoughts that she almost forgot where she was and who she was with, but a loud, happy squeal from Bella brought her back. She looked over at her and smiled. Anders was now holding her and both he and Cathrine were tickling her bare toes.

"So, how was the meeting?" Fredrik asked.

"Hmm?" said Elsa distractedly. "Oh, fine. I think we made real progress today."

"Progress is good," said Fredrik, smiling.

Just then, Cathrine came over and sat next to Elsa. "Your little one is such a joy," she said, smiling. "I'm sure it was the happiest day of your life when she came into your lives."

"I bless every day that I wake up and see her perfect form," said Elsa. "I spent thirteen years of my life alone, thinking no one loved me, and now—" she sniffled a bit — "now, I have the most perfect, most loving family I could have ever asked for."

Cathrine didn't say anything, but she reached forward and pulled Elsa into a tight hug. Both women were silent, but more was said in one simple gesture than in hours of conversation.

After about a minute, the two women broke apart. "So," said Elsa, wiping her face. "Are you enjoying your stay?"

"Oh, yes, very much," Cathrine answered. "Fredrik gave us a quick tour this morning."

"Oh, really?" said Elsa, turning to Fredrik and playfully raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well, after our first few meetings and after living here for three years, I've become quite familiar with the castle that I've now come to call home," he said, smiling.

"Hey now, don't forget where your true home is," said Anders playfully from behind them.

"And what were your initial impressions?" Elsa asked.

"Oh, I love the vaulted ceilings and the stained glass windows," Cathrine answered.

"And what about Anders?" Elsa asked, smiling.

"I'm not sure," said Cathrine, turning to her husband and smiling at him. "He was too awestruck to say anything. One thing he did say, though, was that we don't have anything nearly as awe-inspiring in our castle in the Southern Isles. Your castle is very beautiful."

"I always thought so," came a voice from the doorway. They all looked up and saw Anna and Kristoff, along with Kirsten, who was holding her father's hand, and Susanna, who was nestled in her mother's arms. "Of course, I spent a lot of my childhood running around exploring the castle." There wasn't much room for her on the sofa with three other people, so she sat down in one of the armchairs by the fireplace, a little way across the room. Kristoff sat down in the other chair. Kirsten, meanwhile, went over to play with Bella. When Bella saw her, she let out a happy squeal.

"Kiss!" she said happily, squirming off Anders' lap and toddling over to her cousin. Kirsten hugged her so tightly that they lost their balance and toppled over.

"Whoa, careful there!" said Fredrik, hurrying over and scooping Bella up, who had starting crying.

"I sowy, Bella," said Kirsten. Her bottom lip was trembling and she, too, looked on the verge of tears.

"It's okay, Sunshine, it was just an accident," said Elsa, taking Bella from Fredrik and starting to rock her. She quieted down fairly quickly.

"So," said Anna into the silence. "Have you two seen the village yet?"

"Not in its entirety," Anders answered. "We only caught a brief glimpse coming into port."

"It looks very quaint, though," said Cathrine, smiling.

"I don't suppose you'd like to go for a stroll, then?" Anna asked, smiling. "Get out of the castle for a few hours?"

"Actually, that sounds lovely," said Cathrine, looking at Anders, who smiled in agreement.

"Great!" said Anna, jumping up a little too suddenly and waking Susanna. She didn't fuss, though, just stared up at her over-exuberant mother. "Why don't we go eat lunch first? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

* * *

After a small, quick lunch, the six adults, led by Anna, made their way out of the castle, across the courtyard, over the causeway, and into the village. The three girls – Kirsten, Bella, and Susanna – had been left napping in the nursery, with Nanny Hanne watching over them. As they wended their way through the village, Anna introduced them to the various townspeople and shopkeepers she had come to know over the past six years, stopping in at stores and pausing at stalls and booths to examine the items for sale.

But Anna's favorite shop was the chocolate shop. On every little excursion she made into the village, she always saved this one for last. She was very friendly with the chocolatier, as she was, unsurprisingly, quite a frequent visitor. She led the way inside the shop, the bells above the door tinkling gently as she opened it.

Immediately, everyone's noses were hit with the delicious smell of chocolate. Glass cases stood along the walls holding every kind of chocolate imaginable, from chocolate as white as milk to chocolate as black as night, from bittersweet all the way down to rich and indulgent.

"This is my absolute favorite shop," said Anna unnecessarily. "Andreas knows exactly what I like. I come here almost every day and there's always something new." She stood in awe for a moment as though it was her first time there.

"She's doing it again," Kristoff whispered to Elsa, smirking knowingly. Elsa didn't say anything, but she smiled back.

"Doing what?" Cathrine asked curiously, looking from them to Anna and back.

"Every time Anna comes in here, she practically drools all over the display cases," Kristoff explained, still smirking.

"Hey!" said Anna defensively from behind them. "I do not drool!" But then she immediately flounced away to a display case towards the back of the shop, where she started eyeing up a selection of dark chocolates.

"See what I mean?" Kristoff said, smirking again.

"She must really love her sweets," said Cathrine, smiling.

"That's a bit of an understatement," said Elsa, also smiling. "She has the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know. She'd eat chocolate for every meal if I let her. Most days, she comes in here alone, but sometimes she drags me or Kristoff along with her."

"Hey now, don't pretend you don't love coming here, too," said Fredrik playfully, smiling at her. "You have just as much of a sweet tooth as she does."

"Not quite," said Elsa, giving him a playful nudge. "Unlike Anna, I can control myself."

"That's not true!" said Anna, coming back over to them. "I know you have a secret stash hidden in your desk where you think no one can find it." She smiled mischievously.

"Anna!" But before Elsa could say anything more, they heard a voice at the back of the shop.

"Is that my best and favorite customer?"

They all looked around and saw an older man step out of a back room and walk towards them.

"Everyone, this is Andreas Pedersen, the owner of this fine establishment," Anna said.

Andreas Pedersen was tall and thin, with gray hair already starting to thin. But despite his elderly appearance, he had sharp, piercing blue eyes and his back was ramrod straight. His mouth was stretched in a wide smile, revealing slightly yellowing teeth.

"Princess Anna, I'm delighted to see you again," said Andreas, stopping in front of the group.

"It's so nice to see you, too, Andreas," Anna said, smiling widely. "You remember my sister, Elsa?"

"Of course," he said, turning to Elsa. "Your Majesty, always a pleasure." He took her hand and lightly kissed the back of it.

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Pedersen," said Elsa.

"Oh, please, I insist you call me Andreas," he said, smiling again. "Your sister already does, and you've been here enough times. Not as many as your sister, of course."

"Well, only if you call me Elsa," said Elsa, smiling back.

"And you also remember my husband, Kristoff?" Anna asked, pulling Kristoff towards Andreas.

"Ice Master Kristoff, of course," said Andreas as they shook hands. I've also seen you being dragged in here by the princess." He chuckled.

"Yes, well, I'm sorry to say I'm not as big a fan of chocolate as Anna is," said Kristoff, rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his. "I only agree to come along because she'll keep pestering me otherwise."

"It's because you love me too much to say no," said Anna, pecking him on the cheek.

"That may be part of it," he said, smiling at her.

Elsa cleared her throat loudly.

"Oh yeah!" said Anna, turning to the rest of the group. "This is Elsa's husband, Prince Fredrik."

"Your Highness, a pleasure," Andreas said as they shook hands.

"Same here," said Fredrik, smiling.

"And this is Fredrik's brother, King Anders, and his wife, Queen Cathrine. They're visiting from the Southern Isles."

"Is that so?" said Andreas, shaking Anders and Cathrine's hands in turn. "What brings you here?"

"We are to celebrate the birth of Princess Susanna," Anders answered, smiling.

"Ah, yes, I heard the wonderful news," said Andreas, turning to Anna and Kristoff. "My congratulations to you both."

"Thank you," said Anna, smiling.

"Well," said Andreas, clapping his hands together. "I suppose you didn't stop in just to introduce me to your family, Princess Anna. Why don't you follow me to the back? I have some new chocolate that I'm sure you'd want to taste."

After Anna had finished sampling all the new chocolates (which took an inordinate amount of time in Elsa's view), the group left the shop. They had been in there so long that it was now late afternoon and the sun was starting to set. Anna hummed as she swung her paper bag full of chocolates. She had once again spent a small fortune, having bought one of almost every kind of new chocolate that Andreas had shown her.

"That was fun," she said, linking arms with Elsa. "We should do that again sometime."

"As long as we avoid the chocolate shop," said Elsa, smirking.

"Aw, Elsa, you're no fun!" said Anna, playfully slapping her sister.

"Anna, you must have spent an hour or more tasting all those different chocolates," Elsa said.

"Hey, chocolate tasting is an acquired art to the right people," Anna said.

Elsa didn't say anything. She just smiled and shook her head.

By the time they reached the gates, the sun had sunk even lower, tinting the sky and clouds pink and orange. The guardsmen let them through, bowing respectively as they passed. They had barely entered the courtyard when the castle doors burst open and Gerda came rushing out.

"Your Majesty!" she cried upon seeing Elsa.

"Gerda, what is it? What's wrong?" Elsa asked, immediately concerned.

"Nanny Hanne sent me to find you," said Gerda, breathing hard from exertion. "We think something's wrong with Princess Bella."

"You think?" Kristoff asked. "You're not sure?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not a doctor and have almost no experience in diagnosing illnesses," Gerda said.

There was silence as everyone looked at Elsa, who had gone rigid with shock. Suddenly, the temperature dropped considerably and an icy wind swept through the courtyard, making everyone shiver.

"Elsa?" said Anna, looking at her. Their arms were still linked. "Elsa, you can't just stand here. She's your daughter; you have to go see her."

Elsa's eyes focused on Anna, and she nodded. She then addressed Gerda. "Take me to her," she said. Her voice was so quiet that it was almost inaudible. Gerda seemed to have heard, though, because she nodded and led them back into the castle. They went up flight after flight of stairs before coming to a stop in the doorway to the nursery.

Everything was exactly as they had left it a few hours ago, apart from the thin layer of frost coating the crib where Bella lay. Upon seeing them, Nanny Hanne got up from the rocking chair where she had been sitting and hurried over to them.

"Your Majesty," she said.

"Nanny Hanne, what happened?" Elsa asked.

"I don't know, Your Majesty," Nanny Hanne answered. "One minute, she was sleeping peacefully, and the next, her crib had frozen over."

Elsa made her way over to the crib where Bella was sleeping, closely followed by Fredrik. She sighed in relief when she saw that her daughter was breathing easily, as though nothing had happened. But just to be sure, Elsa gently laid a hand on Bella's cheek. It was ice cold.

"She's cold as ice," she said to Fredrik.

"Wouldn't that be normal for her?" Fredrik asked. "Given that she has your powers?"

"Cool, yes, but not ice cold like this," Elsa answered. She then turned to address Nanny Hanne. "Could you fetch Dr. Olsen, please? Then you can take the night off."

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Nanny Hanne before hurrying off.

"Elsa," said Anna quietly, coming to stand next to her. "Do you think it's something serious?"

Before Elsa could answer, they heard something stirring on the other side of the room. "Mama?" said a sleepy little voice.

"Oh, Kirsten," Anna breathed, going over to her, Kristoff following behind.

"What's wrong?" Kirsten asked. Like any observant child, she had immediately noticed her parents' worried expressions.

"We don't know yet, angel," Anna answered. "But for right now, why don't you and Susanna go with Gerda, okay?"

"Why?" Kirsten asked.

"We can't tell you yet," Kristoff answered. "Now do what your mama told you."

Kirsten got up and Kristoff led her over to where Gerda was standing just inside the door while Anna got Susanna.

"Could you watch them for a while?" Kristoff asked as Anna handed Susanna to Gerda.

"Of course," said Gerda, smiling.

"Thank you, Gerda," said Anna. "We'll send you news as soon as we can."

Gerda nodded and left, taking the girls with her. About a minute later, Dr. Olsen came running into the room, carrying his black medical bag.

"Where is she?" he asked breathlessly. Elsa and Fredrik led him over to the crib where Bella was. He rummaged in his bag and took out his stethoscope. He checked Bella's heartbeat and then took out a thermometer to check her temperature. He performed several more tests before removing his stethoscope and draping it around his neck. He turned back to Elsa and Fredrik, his face very grave and serious.

"Your Majesty," he said, his tone matching his expression. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Dr. Olsen started explaining possible causes of Bella's symptoms, but Elsa heard none of it. She felt cold wind roaring in her ears and ice prickling under her skin. Seeming to guess what was going on, Fredrik took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him and he looked down at her, both at a complete loss for words.

* * *

**Well, there you have it. Sorry it took so long to get here. I guess I was trying to put this off as long as I could. But I hope you enjoyed, despite the not-so-happy ending.**

**Thanks for reading! Another chapter coming soon! :)**

**P. S. For those of you who've been adding my previous stories to your alerts, I would like to respectfully ask you to please stop, as they are all completed and I will not be adding any more to them. Thank you.**


	4. Mounting Fear

**Wow, I am so, SO sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I've been busy going to job interviews and there were days when I was home but didn't do any writing. Plus, this chapter gave me a bit of trouble. But finally, here's chapter 4! I have nothing more to say other than to thank you for the reviews, faves, and follows! Hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Mounting Fear**

It was very late. The sky outside was an inky black, the sun having set hours ago. Elsa now sat in the rocking chair in the nursery, having remained there ever since Dr. Olsen had given his prognosis two days ago. In that time, Elsa had hardly left Bella alone, not to eat, sleep, or even change. She was still wearing her icy blue nightgown and robe from the other night. No one had really seen her since that fateful night, so what was the point in changing? Fredrik had stayed with her for all of the first night and until sometime after midnight the second night, but Elsa had wanted to spend tonight, the third night, alone, wanting some time to think. Bella was still sleeping peacefully, so Elsa had moved the rocking chair closer to the window and was now looking outside, as if she was searching for something that she couldn't find. It was a clear night, the stars twinkling overhead like diamonds, but for someone who had spent almost her entire life in worry and fear, the darkness seemed constricting, overpowering. There seemed no end to it. It was like she was being chased, but no matter how fast or how far she ran from it, it would creep up on her, consuming her. Would the darkness ever end, or would it keep haunting her until the day she died?

In the years since the Great Thaw, Anna had told her on more than one occasion how much stronger she had become, but it was times like this that made her doubt those words. How could someone so strong go through so much in one lifetime?

Elsa sighed and rested her head against the back of the rocking chair. She really needed to sleep. But the fear of Bella worsening while she was asleep kept her awake. She tried to distract herself with happy thoughts about Bella: the day she was born, her first smile, her first laugh, her first words, her first steps. She also thought about that one night about a month after Bella was born when she had awoken fussing in the middle of the night and she and Fredrik had sung her a lullaby to soothe her back to sleep. Of course, Elsa still did that every night, but for some reason, that night had seemed more special, and because of that, it had become one of her favorite memories of her little girl.

A soft knock on the door startled Elsa out of her reverie. She looked up to see Anna in the doorway, wearing her yellow nightgown with a matching robe over it. Her hair was undone, but wasn't quite the mess it was in the morning. Right now, it fell in loose waves down her back.

"Anna, you're still awake?" Elsa asked, sitting up in the chair.

"Why are you still awake?" Anna asked, ignoring Elsa's question.

"I….wasn't tired," Elsa lied, and immediately regretted it.

"Yes, you are," said Anna, coming further into the room. "I can see your eyes drooping right now. And I know that you haven't left that spot since Dr. Olsen checked on Bella."

"How did you know?" Elsa asked, surprised.

"Gerda," said Anna simply. "She came to me expressing her concern about you. According to her, you haven't slept or eaten in _two whole days_."

Elsa didn't say anything, but her silence was all the confirmation Anna needed. "It's true, then?" she asked quietly. Elsa still didn't say anything. Anna sighed before walking over and kneeling down in front of her. "Elsa," she said, looking up into her sister's eyes. "I know you're worried about Bella. We all are, but you can't keep depriving yourself of the most basic human needs."

"I can't leave her," Elsa whispered, not trusting her voice to say it any louder.

"I know," said Anna, laying a comforting hand on Elsa's. "But starving yourself isn't going to make her better. She needs you. Fredrik needs you. I need you. We all need you."

Elsa was silent again. How long had she waited to hear that? Her whole life, probably. She was surprised that it took her this long to realize it. Just like she needed her family, her family in turn needed her.

"You're right, Anna," she said quietly.

"Boy, I love hearing you say that," said Anna, trying to inject a bit of humor into the conversation.

Elsa smiled slightly. "I'm being stupid and selfish," she said.

"No, you're not," said Anna, squeezing her hands. "You're just being a mother." And she wrapped her sister in a tight hug. "So," she said once they had broken apart. "How's she doing?"

"There's been no change," Elsa answered.

"Is that good or bad?" Anna asked.

"Both," Elsa replied.

"Both?" said Anna, confused.

"Good because it means that she hasn't gotten worse," Elsa explained. "And bad because she's not getting better."

Anna looked over at the crib where Bella was sleeping. She noticed something shimmering on it and got up for a closer look. It was still coated in a thin layer of frost. "Um, Elsa?" she said, looking back at her sister. "There's still frost on here."

"I know," said Elsa quietly.

"Can't you remove it?" Anna asked. "Like, make it disappear or whatever?" She made a motion with her hands to depict something vanishing.

"I already tried," Elsa answered, looking up at her. "It's not mine."

Anna just stared at her, not quite comprehending. "You mean that since Bella created it, you can't thaw it?" she asked slowly. "In other words, you can't thaw ice and snow that wasn't created by you?"

"No," Elsa confirmed, looking back down at her hands.

"Did you know about this before that night?" Anna asked.

"No," Elsa said again.

"So, that means that Bella has to thaw it herself?" Anna asked slowly.

"Yes," Elsa whispered, so quiet that Anna almost didn't hear her.

"Maybe it will go away when she gets better," Anna suggested, a little half-heartedly.

"If she gets better," Elsa said, just as quietly as before.

"What did Dr. Olsen say is wrong with her?" Anna asked.

"He's not sure, but given the fact that she's icy cold, he thinks it might be hypothermia," Elsa replied.

"But you don't think so," said Anna. It wasn't a question.

"No," said Elsa. "I don't think Bella's illness is a physical one."

"What kind of illness do you think it is?" Anna asked.

Elsa looked back up at her. "I think it's magical," she whispered.

Anna didn't say anything. She just stared at her sister, an expression of both shock and fear on her face.

* * *

The two days of Bella's illness turned into three, then five, then a week. Elsa still refused to leave Bella's side, but at Anna's gentle but firm insistence, she started taking meals again. She didn't eat much, but it was enough to make Anna stop pestering her. As she still wouldn't leave the nursery, Anna had Gerda make up a small cot for her to sleep on. She only slept for a few hours most nights, but she felt a little better during the day, not quite as tense or stressed out.

There still had been no change in Bella. She was still as deathly cold as that first day, and though Elsa was somewhat reassured that she so far wasn't getting any worse, she was also worried that she didn't seem to be getting any better. During that first week, she had put the brunt of her queenly duties onto Fredrik, wanting to be right by Bella in case anything were to change. Fredrik had been a little reluctant at first, but hadn't pressed the matter. The last thing he needed was for Elsa to freeze some other part of him. Besides, he was getting used to sharing her duties with her. Of course, Anna helped him whenever he needed it, but as she was busy with Susanna and keeping Kirsten away from Bella, it wasn't often. So it was no surprise that after the first couple of days he was starting to feel a little stressed, and it didn't help that he now slept alone most nights, Elsa having taken up temporary residence in the nursery.

But after about a week and a half, Anna decided that she had had enough of seeing Elsa in the nursery all the time, so she started devising a plan to get Elsa out of that room and maybe out of the castle completely for a whole day. As Fredrik hadn't been seeing much of Elsa lately, she arranged for him to have a day off, too. She could only imagine how stressed he must be taking care of most of Elsa's duties.

Wanting it to be a surprise, Anna made absolutely sure that Elsa knew nothing of her plans. She swore Kai and Gerda to secrecy, as they were also helping with the surprise. Gerda was working on setting aside time to stay with Bella and Kai was working with the kitchen staff on preparing a picnic for the royal couple (Anna's idea, of course).

Once all the preparations had been finalized, Anna gathered everyone in the parlor to make sure they knew their roles for the following morning. After everyone recited what they were supposed to do, Anna dismissed them and returned to her and Kristoff's room, where he was putting Susanna to bed.

"Whew!" she said, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. "That took longer than I thought it would."

"What did?" Kristoff asked, straightening up after putting Susanna in her bassinet.

"The planning for Elsa and Fredrik's picnic," Anna answered, moving away from the door and coming over to him. She hadn't told him about her plans at first for fear of Kirsten overhearing and running to tell Elsa. She was a little blabbermouth, yet another trait she had inherited from her mother.

"Anna, are you sure this is such a good idea?" Kristoff asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know your sister doesn't like surprises."

"Of course I'm sure," Anna said. Kristoff raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Okay, maybe I'm not _sure_ sure, but I think it'll be good for her. I'm worried about her, Kristoff. She's looking so pale."

"She's always looked pale," said Kristoff, giving her a questioning look.

"Well, yes, but this is more of the sickly pale," Anna said. "I know you don't really notice these things, but I do because I'm her sister. She needs to get out of that room and into the fresh air and sunshine. It's not good for her to be shut up in there all the time." Her voice broke; she seemed close to tears.

"Hey, hey," Kristoff soothed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "I'm sorry I questioned you. I know you're going through a rough time right now, with Bella being your niece and all."

"Oh Kristoff, I thought we were done with all the tragedy in this family," Anna sniffed. "First, Elsa shuts me out, then our parents die, Kirsten gets kidnapped, and now this?" She buried her face in his chest to muffle her sobs.

"Shh, it'll be okay," said Kristoff, kissing the top of her head. But in truth, he wasn't sure himself.

Meanwhile, in the nursery, Elsa was standing next to Bella's frosted crib, looking down at her with tears shining in her eyes. Nothing had changed, for better or for worse, and Elsa was starting to lose hope. What if she lost her? What if—?

The floorboards creaked and she spun around to see Fredrik entering the room. He wasn't ready for bed yet, but his hair was sticking up in places from the countless times he'd run his fingers through it that day out of stress.

"Hey," he said quietly, smiling at her.

"Hi," she whispered.

"I miss you," he said, coming up and wrapping his arms around her. "I've hardly seen you lately."

"I know, I'm sorry," said Elsa, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. "But I can't leave her."

"Love, I know you feel like you have to be with her all the time, but you don't," said Fredrik, resting his chin gently on top of her head.

"But I do," said Elsa, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Why?" Fredrik asked.

Elsa pulled away and looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "What if something happens?" she asked. "What if she gets worse? I can't lose her, Fredrik. Besides Anna and her family, you and Bella are all I have in this world. You're my reason for living, my reason for getting up in the morning. I've already lost my parents and Anna. I can't bear to lose Bella, too." Her voice broke and she started crying, deep wrenching sobs that shook her whole frame. Fredrik didn't know what to do, so he just held her close for as long as she needed him.

* * *

Hours later, there was a soft knock on the nursery door. It was loud enough to be heard, but soft enough that it didn't wake the sleeping form on the cot next to the crib where Bella still lay sleeping. Anna smiled as she tiptoed into the room and over to Elsa. Her long platinum blonde hair had come loose from its braid and was splayed across the pillow and she was breathing deeply and evenly. She would have looked peaceful if not for the worry lines creasing her forehead.

"Elsa," Anna whispered, gently shaking her sister's shoulder. "Psst, Elsa." Elsa moaned softly but didn't wake up. Anna tried again. "Wake up, wake up, wake up," she said in a playful singsong voice. Elsa still didn't stir, so Anna did the one thing that was sure to wake her sister: she jumped on top of her.

That did the trick. Elsa was so startled at this abrupt wake-up call that she shot a blast of snow from her fingertips. Luckily, Anna jumped off her in time to avoid most of it. "Anna!" she said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Why must you do that?"

"Because it's fun," Anna said, smiling at her. "And speaking of fun, I have something fun planned for you and Fredrik today."

"And what would that be?" Elsa asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"It's a surprise," Anna answered, smiling wider.

"And when does this 'something fun' start?" Elsa asked.

"As soon as you get up," Anna answered.

"What time is it?" Elsa asked, stifling a yawn.

"Almost eleven," Anna said.

"Almost eleven?!" Elsa said, now wide awake. "Why didn't someone wake me earlier?"

"Well, you haven't been sleeping much lately, so I told Kai and Gerda to let you sleep in today," Anna said.

"But Anna, I have so much work to do!" Elsa admonished. "Plus, I have to watch Bella. And—"

"No, you don't," Anna interrupted firmly. "And in case you forgot, you haven't done any work for the last week and a half. You've been in here all this time, putting all your responsibilities on your poor husband."

"He doesn't mind," Elsa mumbled.

"I know he doesn't," said Anna. "But he's not used to so much work. He may be your consort, but he's still just a prince. Princes shouldn't have quite that much responsibility."

"Where is he?" Elsa asked. She remembered him coming into the nursery last night and comforting her, but then she must've fallen asleep sometime after.

"In your room," Anna answered. "I made him take the day off. And now I'm making you take the day off."

"Anna, we can't afford to take a day off," Elsa protested. "There's too much work to do. What will our advisors think?"

"I've already taken care of that," Anna said, waving a hand dismissively. "I informed them that you've been way too stressed out lately and since they know of Bella's situation, they agreed. They're more than happy to handle everything today."

"What about Bella?" Elsa asked. "I can't leave her."

"You need to," said Anna. "You need to get out of this room for a while, walk around, get some fresh air. Besides, I talked to Gerda yesterday and she is more than happy to watch Bella while you're gone. You know how much she loves the girls."

Anna had a point. Gerda loved their daughters as much as she loved her and Anna. Gerda had been overjoyed to hear that Anna and Elsa were going to be mothers. It was clear that she had missed hearing the pitter patter of little feet in the hallways.

Anna was still talking, not noticing, as usual, that Elsa had drifted away. "It's okay to ask for help sometimes," she was saying. "I know you think otherwise, but you can't do everything yourself. We're a family, and families stick together no matter what."

Elsa was silent again. Maybe Anna was right. Maybe she could use a break. And there were plenty of people who could stay with Bella, if not Nanny Hanne or Gerda, then Anna or maybe Cathrine. But wasn't that a mother's job? Watching over her children when they're sick? Maybe she was being a bit over-protective. But Bella was her first, so didn't she have that right? As an older sister and, more importantly, a queen, she felt that it wasn't really Anna's place to tell her what to do. But then, if Anna didn't tell her, then someone else would, like Kai or Gerda.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt Anna take her hands to make her look at her. "You know what you're going to do?" she asked. "You're going to get dressed, go outside, and have a lovely, romantic day with your husband."

"But—" Elsa started.

"No buts," Anna interrupted. "I've had this outing planned since yesterday and you're not going to ruin it."

Elsa chuckled in spite of herself. "And what, pray tell, is this 'outing'?" she asked.

"I told you, it's a surprise," said Anna, standing up, pulling Elsa along with her. "Now get dressed, preferably in something nice. I'll locate Fredrik. Kai will meet both of you down in the entrance hall at noon." Anna skipped out into the hall and with a little wave, she was gone.

Elsa just smiled and shook her head. Not wanting to keep Fredrik, or Kai, waiting, she got up and started making her way down the hall to her and Fredrik's room. Before she got there, she ran into Gerda, who was obviously on her way up to the nursery.

"Your Majesty!" Gerda said, smiling. "It's so good to see you out of that room."

"Thank you," said Elsa, smiling back. "I suppose you're on your way there?"

"Yes, indeed, Your Majesty," said Gerda.

Before she realized what she was doing, Elsa had stepped forward and wrapped the older woman in a hug. Gerda was surprised, but she happily reciprocated.

When they broke apart, Elsa had tears in her eyes. "Whatever is the matter, dear?" Gerda asked, breaking formalities and using one of her endearments for Elsa.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for my family over the years," Elsa said, and though tears were streaking her cheeks, her voice was surprisingly steady. "I will never forget it."

"It has always been my pleasure to serve you, Your Majesty," said Gerda, smiling and taking Elsa's hands in hers. "Now, dry those tears. Today is supposed to be a happy day. Go enjoy it with your husband."

"Thank you again, Gerda," said Elsa, smiling back.

"You're welcome," said Gerda. "Now, off you go!"

"All right," said Elsa, and she continued on her way. When she reached her and Fredrik's room, she found that it was empty, which meant that Fredrik must already be waiting for her. Not wanting to keep him much longer, she went quickly over to her wardrobe and picked out one of her nicer dresses, which was a light shade of blue. It wasn't fancy like the ones she wore for balls and other special occasions, but it was nicer than her everyday dresses. It would feel nice to be wearing fresh clothing. She hadn't changed since Bella first fell ill.

She laid her dress out on the bed and looked at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace. It was just after eleven-thirty. Deciding she had time for a quick bath, she went into her en-suite bathroom and filled the large copper tub with warm water and her favorite peppermint-scented oil. When she was satisfied, she drained the tub, dried herself off, and donned her robe. She went back out into the bedroom and sat down in front of her vanity, where she freshened up her eye shadow, blush, and lipstick. When she was finished, she removed her robe and put on her chemise and corset. It was hard tying the stays without someone to help, but she managed. Besides, she had managed by herself since she was eighteen, shortly after her parents died. When she had tied the last string, she pulled her dress over her head, careful not to smudge her makeup. This was one of her favorite summer dresses. It was made of a lightweight, floaty material, with three-quarter-length sleeves and an ankle-length skirt that swirled and swished as she walked. The scoop-neck bodice was a slightly darker shade of blue than the sleeves and skirt and was decorated with light blue and purple flowers.

When she was dressed, she went back over to her vanity to brush and re-braid her hair. When she had tied it off, she took one last look at herself in the full-length mirror in the corner by the changing screen and was satisfied with how she looked. She glanced back at the clock. It was now ten minutes to noon. She left the room and hurried downstairs to the entrance hall, where Fredrik and Kai were waiting for her, the latter holding a large picnic basket.

Fredrik smiled when he saw her and opened his arms. She went to him gladly and he held her tight for a moment before breaking away and giving her a passionate kiss. "I've missed you," he said after pulling away.

"You just saw me last night," said Elsa, giving him a quizzical look.

"I mean this past week and a half," said Fredrik, cupping her chin in his hand.

"I know, I missed you, too," said Elsa, resting her head against his chest. "And I'm sorry I put all my responsibilities on your shoulders. No one should bear that burden alone."

"My, don't you sound philosophical," said Fredrik teasingly, pulling away from her and smiling again. "Now come on. Let's get this surprise day off started." He took the picnic basket from Kai, thanked him, then took Elsa's hand and led her outside.

As they were crossing the courtyard, they ran into Cathrine, Anders, Kristoff, and Kirsten, who were coming back in from a walk. Kirsten was holding Cathrine's hand chattering away (So like her mother, Elsa thought) and Kristoff and Anders were talking quietly. Kirsten broke off her chatter when she spotted her aunt and uncle.

"Auntie Elsa! Uncle Fwedwik!" she said, running to Elsa and giving her a hug.

"Hello, Sunshine," said Elsa, hugging her back.

"I picked this for you!" said Kristen, squirming away from her and holding out a bright blue flower.

"It's beautiful, thank you, sweetheart," said Elsa, taking the flower.

"Mama says it's your favewit color," Kirsten said.

"And she's right, it is my favorite color," said Elsa, smiling at her niece. She then stood up to address the adults. "Hello, Anders. Cathrine."

"Elsa, it's wonderful to see you out and about," said Cathrine, smiling.

"I must admit, it does feel nice to get some fresh air," said Elsa.

"So this is Anna's 'secret surprise'?" Kristoff asked, putting air quotes around the last two words.

"She told you?" Elsa asked.

"Actually, she told everyone," said Anders, smiling. "Everyone except you and Fredrik, that is."

_That little stinker_, Elsa thought, then she asked, "Where is Anna?"

"Upstairs, feeding Susanna before her nap," Kristoff answered. "Which reminds me, it's almost time for your nap, Kirsten."

"No nap!" Kirsten cried.

"Yes, nap," said Kristoff. "We're going to have lunch, then you're going to lie down for a while."

"But Papa, I wanna pway with Auntie Elsa and Uncle Fwedwik," Kirsten whined.

"Your aunt and uncle will be busy," said Kristoff. "You can see them later after your nap."

"But—"

"No buts. Now, give your aunt and uncle a hug and let's go eat lunch."

"Aw, okay," said Kirsten, pouting. "Bye Auntie Elsa. Bye Uncle Fwedwik."

"Goodbye, sweetheart," said Elsa, bending down again to give her a hug. She whispered in her ear, "Take a good nap and maybe we can build a snowman later."

"Really?" Kirsten asked, perking up.

"Only if you take a good nap," said Elsa.

"Okay," said Kirsten, and she took her father's hand and together, they went back into the castle.

"Well," said Cathrine, smiling at Elsa and Fredrik. "Since you two obviously have plans, we'll leave you to it." She looped her arm through Anders' and gently pulled him away into the castle.

Elsa shook her head. "I am so going to get Anna back for this," she said.

"Yes, love, I'm sure you will," said Fredrik, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "Now, where would you like to go for our picnic?"

Elsa thought for a minute, then made her suggestion with a knowing smile on her face. Fredrik smiled back and allowed her to lead the way.

Soon, they reached their destination, a beautiful outcropping behind a waterfall that overlooked all of Arendelle village. It just so happened to also be the place where Fredrik had proposed to Elsa a little more than two years ago. Fredrik opened the picnic basket and, finding a blanket on top, spread it out on the grass. He gestured for Elsa to sit down and he followed suit. He rummaged in the basket again and took out two sandwiches wrapped in paper, one labeled with Elsa's name and one labeled with his name.

"I take it this one is for you," he said, smiling as he handed Elsa the sandwich with her name on it.

"Thank you," said Elsa, taking the sandwich from him. She unwrapped it to find that it was her favorite: seafood salad on white bread. She bit into it and let out a contented sigh.

"Good?" Fredrik asked, smiling and taking a bite of his own sandwich, which was a simple cured ham on whole wheat with scrambled eggs. Elsa just nodded, her mouth too full to speak.

They finished their sandwiches in silence. There was also some cheesy bread, which they shared, and two apples. Finally, there was a small box of chocolates that Anna had no doubt insisted upon packing. They finished off their picnic with some sweet cider. Fredrik then packed up the remains of their picnic and they made their way back down the cliff, Fredrik helping Elsa when she stumbled.

Once they had reached level ground, they started making their way back to the castle. Fredrik stopped along the way and picked a flower, which he then tucked behind Elsa's ear. Elsa thanked him with a kiss and he happily reciprocated. When they broke apart, Fredrik wasn't quite satisfied, so he pulled her behind the nearest building and proceeded to kiss every inch of her exposed skin, from her forehead all the way down to her collarbone. Elsa closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the wall of the building. She moaned with pleasure as Fredrik's lips went lower and lower, raking her hands through his dark curls. He came back up to her mouth for one last, passionate kiss before finally releasing her.

"You don't know how much I've missed doing that to you," said Fredrik, smiling at her.

"I've missed it, too," said Elsa, smiling back. Fredrik pulled her back out onto the street and they continued on their way. Elsa entwined her fingers with his and rested her head on his arm.

It was as they were entering the courtyard that their perfect day came to a crashing halt. The castle doors banged open and Sophie, one of the nursemaids, came running out. She was younger than Anna by a year or two, with fair skin, blue-grey eyes, and long, dark brown hair, which was tied back in a single braid down her back.

"Your Majesty!" she panted, stopping in front of them. "Come quick! It's the princess!"

Elsa and Fredrik exchanged worried looks and without a word, hurried after Sophie. They came to a halt in the family wing where they saw Gerda, Anna, and Kristoff clustered together outside the nursery, where they could hear Bella wailing at the top of her lungs. Anna was holding Susanna and Kristoff was holding tightly to Kirsten's hand to prevent her from going in.

"Gerda, what happened?" Elsa asked, rushing over to the group.

"Your Majesty, I was watching the princess like I promised and all seemed fine until about ten minutes ago, when she suddenly started wailing," Gerda answered.

"You didn't try to comfort her?" Elsa asked.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I can't get near enough to her," Gerda said. Elsa gave her a quizzical look and hurried inside to find that the entire floor was coated in a thin layer of frost. Being an expert walking on ice, she carefully made her way over to Bella, who was still wailing in her crib. She looked down at her daughter and gasped in horror.

"Fredrik!" she screamed.

Fredrik came running in, followed closely by Anna and Kristoff. "What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Look!" Elsa cried, pointing a shaky finger at Bella. Fredrik came up behind her and looked down at Bella. A look of fear came over his face when he saw that the tips of Bella's fingers were turning blue, like frostbite. "Someone get Dr. Olsen! Now!" she shouted. A scurrying of feet told her that someone had rushed off to obey her command.

Minutes later, Dr. Olsen came running into the room with his black bag, almost slipping on the frost covering the floor. He ordered everyone out and then shut the door. Elsa started pacing feverishly back and forth, wringing her hands and causing snow to fall from the ceiling.

"Elsa," said Anna gently.

Elsa looked at her and Anna jerked her head upward. Elsa then noticed the snow and immediately willed it to stop.

After about fifteen minutes of anxious waiting, the door opened again and Dr. Olsen stepped out into the hall, carrying his black bag. His face was graver than on the day of his prognosis.

"Dr. Olsen?" said Elsa in a shaky voice. "What is it?"

"I'm afraid I don't know, Your Majesty," he answered, shaking his head. "This is an illness beyond my understanding."

Elsa looked up at Fredrik. He looked just as frightened as she felt.

Dr. Olsen continued. "I've given her some medicine to help her sleep, but I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do. It's best to just let nature take its course."

He started down the hallway, but then paused in front of Elsa and Fredrik. "I'm very sorry," he said, and he truly looked it. He continued down the hall and disappeared around the corner.

Anna looked at her sister. She was staring at the door to the nursery. In the past half hour, she seemed to have aged ten years. "Elsa?" she said quietly.

Elsa didn't look at her. "We have to see them," she said, so quietly Anna almost didn't hear her. "It may be our only hope."

"See who?" Anna asked, obviously confused. "What may be our only hope?"

Elsa took a long time answering. "The trolls," she said quietly. "We have to see the trolls."

* * *

**Whew! This is one of my longest chapters and probably the hardest to write. I wanted to get it posted this week, but I didn't wanna rush it, either. I hope the length made up for the long wait. **

**Thanks for reading! Another chapter coming soon! :) **


	5. Magic Beyond Understanding

**Well, here's chapter 5. I am once again truly sorry for the wait. This is the longest I've ever taken to write a chapter. One of the reasons is that this is the hardest story I've written thus far and another reason is that I'm a bit discouraged by the very few reviews. I was hoping this would get a better response than it has. But I hope you enjoy it anyway. Please keep reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Magic Beyond Understanding**

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at Elsa. Even Kirsten and Susanna were quiet, Susanna having fallen asleep in her mother's arms and Kirsten listening hard to find out what was going on.

"Wait, what?" said Anna, clearly confused.

"The trolls," Elsa repeated. "I think they can help. When I—when I accidentally hit you in the head with my powers nineteen years ago, the troll chief—"

"Grand Pabbie?" Anna interrupted.

"Yes, he was able to remove the magic but he also had to remove your memories of my magic," said Elsa. "I think perhaps he may be able to do it again."

"Of course," said Anna, now catching on. "Why didn't I think of that? After you accidentally froze my heart, Kristoff took me to the trolls to see if Grand Pabbie would be able to remove the ice, but he wasn't. He said I needed an act of true love. But I'm thinking that since you didn't freeze Bella, he just might be able to remove it. Kristoff, what do you think?" She turned to address him.

"It could work," said Kristoff slowly. "But—"

"But?" Anna prompted him.

"Anna, you have to understand," he said. "There are some things in this world that we'll never have the answers to, and this may be one of them."

"Now you're starting to sound like them," said Anna, shaking her head in disbelief. "Honestly, I think you lived with them for too long."

"Anna, I think Kristoff has a point," said Elsa quietly.

"Wait, what?" said Anna again.

"My whole life, most especially the thirteen years we were separated, I've wondered about my powers, asking the same questions over and over," Elsa explained. "How did I get them? Where and whom did I get them from? Why was I born with them and not you?"

"Maybe you got them from one of our long-dead ancestors or something," Anna suggested, shrugging.

"But that's just it, Anna," said Elsa. "We don't know for sure. For all we know, I could've been the first person born with these particular powers. That's why we need to see the trolls. Maybe they can explain where I got them from and therefore help Bella."

Anna nodded, seemingly convinced, but Fredrik came in front of her and cupped her face in his hands. "Elsa, are you sure?" he asked.

Elsa started. He had asked the exact same question he had asked her three years ago just before her decision to convict Hans of his treachery. "I'm not sure of anything right now," she answered. "But like I said, it may be our only chance. I'm afraid something worse will happen to Bella if we don't."

"All right, then," said Fredrik. He kissed her forehead and stepped aside so she could address the others.

"Kristoff, how long does it take to get to the Valley of the Living Rock from here?" Elsa asked.

Kristoff was silent for a moment as he thought. "About a day," he said. "Maybe less than that in good weather. We can leave first thing in the morning."

"No, it has to be tonight," said Elsa. "Please gather the necessary supplies – lanterns, blankets, provisions, and anything else we might need."

"You got it," said Kristoff. He gave Anna a quick kiss on the cheek and left.

"I'm going to take Kirsten and Susanna to mine and Kristoff's room," said Anna, taking Kirsten by the hand. Kirsten protested and tried to pull away.

"But Mama, I wanna go with you!" she cried, continuing to pull out of her mother's grasp.

Anna knelt down so she was at eye level with Kirsten, Susanna carefully tucked against her chest. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but you have to stay here," she said gently. "Auntie Elsa, Uncle Fredrik, Papa, and I have to go away for a little bit."

"Why?" Kirsten asked.

"Just grown-up things," said Anna. She didn't want to worry her daughter by telling her about Bella.

"Okay," said Kirsten. "But who's gonna stay with me?"

Anna opened her mouth to say Gerda, but just then, they heard running footsteps and Anders and Cathrine appeared.

"Oh, Elsa!" said Cathrine, rushing over to her sister-in-law and hugging her tightly. "We heard the news from one of your servants and came as soon as we could. How is she?"

Elsa sighed deeply. "Not good," she said. "Listen, we need to take Bella on a little trip to find out what could be causing this. Could you maybe stay with Kirsten and Susanna?"

"Of course," said Cathrine. "We'll be happy to. You don't even have to ask."

"Thank you," said Elsa. "I don't know how long we'll be gone – a day or two at the most – so do you think you can handle everything here?"

"Consider it done," said Anders, smiling.

"Thank you," said Elsa again. "I don't foresee any major problems or issues, but if something does come up, don't hesitate to call on Kai for assistance. He was a great help to me in the three years between my parents' death and my coronation."

"Understood," said Anders. "Don't worry about a thing."

Anna then handed Susanna over to Cathrine, who took her gently into her arms, before kneeling down in front of Kirsten. "Listen to me," she said. "You'll be staying here with Uncle Anders and Auntie Cathrine. They're in charge until we get back, so be a good girl and do whatever they tell you."

"Yes, Mama," said Kirsten.

"That's my girl," said Anna, smiling and giving her daughter a hug. She held her tight for a moment before letting go. "We'll see you soon, okay?" Kirsten nodded, her thumb now in her mouth. Anna stood again and addressed Cathrine. "If Susanna needs to be fed, just summon Gerda and she'll call for one of the nursemaids. It'll most likely be Sophie. She's easy enough to recognize. She's about my age and has long, dark brown hair that's usually tied back in a braid."

"Don't worry, we'll manage," said Cathrine, smiling as she gently rocked Susanna in her arms. "Come along, now, Kirsten. Your mama, aunt, and uncle have some things to do." She carefully shifted Susanna to one arm and held out her hand to Kirsten, who took it and followed her and Anders down the hall and out of sight.

Elsa turned to her sister. "Anna, I'm so sorry," she said. "I know how hard you worked planning this special day for me and Fredrik, and I ruined it anyway."

"It's okay, Elsa," said Anna, taking her sister's hands in hers. "Sometimes, things happen that we can't always control, and this is one of them."

Running footsteps told them that Kristoff had returned.

"Ah, Kristoff," said Elsa once he had reached them. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes," he answered, breathing heavily. "I packed lanterns and extra oil, ropes for climbing, several thick blankets, and enough provisions to last us a week."

Elsa looked startled at this last bit of information, so Kristoff explained, "Gerda insisted. I didn't argue with her. For one thing, we don't know how long we'll be up there and for another thing, the weather up on the mountains can be very unpredictable. So in case we get caught in a blizzard or another force of nature, we want to be well-prepared."

"Good thinking, Kristoff," said Elsa approvingly. "I know I can trust you to get us through whatever we may run into."

Kristoff's cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. "Thank you," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, how soon did you want to leave?"

"As soon as possible," Elsa answered. "Is Sven ready to go?"

"He's waiting outside the stables to be hitched up," Kristoff answered.

"All right," said Elsa. "Now then, I suggest that everyone pack up their warmest clothes. It may be warm and sunny down here, but up there, it can be quite cold, like Kristoff said. We'll meet down in the entrance hall in twenty minutes."

Anna and Kristoff nodded in understanding and hurried off to their room to start packing. Elsa went back into the nursery to get Bella. She had stopped wailing and was once again asleep. The ice had progressed from her fingertips to the second set of knuckles. It was almost like watching Anna freeze to death all over again. She gently picked up her daughter and wrapped her tightly in the thickest wool blanket she could find.

"Elsa?" said Fredrik quietly from behind her, startling her. He had been silent during the previous exchange and Elsa had almost forgotten he was there. "Do you really think these…...troll things will be able to help?"

"I don't know," said Elsa just as quietly. "But we have to try, Fredrik. We have to try."

* * *

A few hours later, after a hasty dinner, they were in Kristoff's sled and Sven was racing up the mountain. Anna was in front with Kristoff and Elsa and Fredrik were in the back, Elsa holding tightly onto Bella, who was still wrapped in a blanket. They stopped once about halfway up to let Sven rest, then continued on. It was well past dark by the time they arrived at the Valley of the Living Rock. The sky was darker than usual because the auroras weren't flashing across it, but it was so cloudy out, they wouldn't have been able to see them, anyway. Both Anna and Elsa had fallen asleep against their respective partners. Bella was still tucked protectively against her mother's chest.

There was a slight lurch as the sled came to a stop and Elsa opened her eyes. Kristoff nudged Anna awake and they all got out.

"You stay here, buddy, all right?" said Kristoff, rubbing Sven's head. Sven just snorted in response. Kristoff unhitched him from the sled to give him some freedom to roam, then gestured for everyone to follow him. Anna was positively bouncing in anticipation as she looped her arm through his.

As Elsa and Fredrik followed behind them, Fredrik asked quietly, "Can we trust these creatures? Personally, I know nothing about trolls."

"Well, Kristoff grew up with them," Elsa answered, tucking Bella's blanket more securely around her. "So he trusts them, and in turn, I trust Kristoff."

"Wait," said Fredrik, stepping in front of her and making her stop. "He grew up with them?" It was too dark to make out his face, but his tone of voice expressed his disbelief.

"Well, yes," said Elsa. "They're his family. Well, his adopted family. He was orphaned at a young age."

"What happened to his real family?" Fredrik asked.

"I don't know," Elsa replied. "He doesn't talk about it."

"Anna never asked him?" Fredrik asked.

"Oh, I'm sure she has," Elsa said. "Probably on more than one occasion. It's the one thing he hasn't felt comfortable sharing with her yet."

"I suppose I can understand that," said Fredrik.

"You guys coming?" Anna called back to them.

Elsa and Fredrik hurried over to where Anna and Kristoff were standing near a group of moss-covered boulders. When Anna saw them coming, she ran over to Fredrik, grabbed his hand, and dragged him over. "C'mon, Fredrik!" she said. "I want you to meet Kristoff's family!" Fredrik shot Elsa a slightly anxious look, but Elsa just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

Anna pulled Fredrik into a circle of boulders, swept her arms out dramatically, and said, "Meet Kristoff's family!"

Fredrik looked around, but all he saw were rocks. "They're…...rocks," he said, stating the obvious.

"Well, of course they are, silly," said Anna, nudging him playfully.

"Then…...where are the trolls?" Fredrik asked uncertainly.

"Oh, they're here, they're just sleeping right now," said Anna. "But I'm sure they'll be waking up soon. Or Kristoff could just wake them up."

"Wait, what?" said Kristoff.

"Why don't you wake them up?" Anna asked, going over to him.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," said Kristoff warily. "They'll swarm us."

"They swarm us anyway, Kristoff," said Anna. "But we come here so often, we're used to it."

"Yeah, but they aren't," said Kristoff, gesturing to Fredrik and Elsa. "From what you told me Elsa told you, she's only been here once and Fredrik not at all."

"I know, you're right," Anna conceded. "But will you do it, anyway?"

"Anna—" Kristoff started.

"Please, Kristoff?" she said, giving him her famous pouty face and big puppy dog eyes.

Kristoff winced inwardly. He hated when she pulled that on him. He was such a sucker for her pouty face, and she knew it, having used it on him many times. "Fine," he finally huffed. Anna smiled and pecked him on the cheek. He rolled his eyes as he made his way further into the cluster of boulders. "Hey guys!" he said in a loud, clear voice. "Look who came to visit."

There was a moment of silence, then the boulders started rolling towards him of their own accord. They were less than a foot away before they unrolled to reveal short, squat little trolls. The moss covering their boulder forms served as clothing and their hair was made of grass. The females had flowers growing in theirs to distinguish them from the males. They ranged in size from big and bulky to small and roly-poly.

"Kristoff's home!" a female troll shouted happily from right next to Kristoff. Soon, there was a loud chorus of "Kristoff's home" as more trolls unrolled and revealed themselves. The female troll who had started the welcome hopped up on three other trolls so she was at eye level with Kristoff. "Oh, it's so good to see you! We haven't seen you since you and Anna announced your engagement."

"We've been meaning to visit for quite some time, Bulda," said Anna, coming up beside them and taking Kristoff's hand. "But, you know, life happened." She smiled up at Kristoff and he smiled back.

"Didn't I say the two of you were perfect for each other?" Bulda asked, smiling and winking at them.

"Yes, you did, Ma," said Kristoff, flushing a little with embarrassment.

"Any children yet?" Bulda asked.

"Actually, we have two beautiful girls," said Anna, smiling. "Kirsten, who's three, and Susanna, who's just a month old."

"Well, congratulations!" said Bulda happily, puling the two of them into a hug. She then noticed Elsa standing just behind them. "Queen Elsa, how nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you, as well," said Elsa. Bella was still bundled in her arms.

"I remember the last time I saw you," said Bulda, jumping down from the tower of other trolls and coming over to her. "You were just a scared little girl back then."

"But she's come a long way since then," said Anna, smiling and coming over to stand next to Elsa.

"That's wonderful to hear," said Bulda, smiling. "And who is this handsome young man beside you?"

"This is Fredrik," said Elsa, breaking away from Anna and going to stand next to him. "My husband."

"My goodness, it has been a long time!" said Bulda, smiling even wider. "Well, I'm pleased to meet the man who has seemed to make the young queen so happy."

Fredrik shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. "Pleased to meet you, as well, Miss, uh...…"

"Oh, just call me Bulda," said the troll, waving a hand. "No need for formalities here. We're family, after all."

"If you insist," said Fredrik, smiling.

"I do," said Bulda. "And any children for you?"

Elsa and Fredrik looked at each other and then back at Bulda. "Actually, that's why we're here," said Elsa quietly. "You see….." She trailed off and looked at Anna for help. Anna seemed to guess her sister's silent message.

"Elsa and Fredrik's daughter, Bella, has Elsa's powers," Anna filled in.

"I see," said Bulda.

"But what's worse is that Bella has an illness," Anna continued.

"Oh my," said Bulda. "What kind of an illness?"

"We don't know," Kristoff answered. "We were hoping you'd be able to tell us. Is Grand Pabbie around?"

"He's still sleeping, but I'll go wake him," Bulda answered. "I'm sure he'll be able to help you. Well, better than I can, anyway." And she rolled away, looking for the troll chief.

Anna and Kristoff moved away a short distance to talk to some of the other trolls, giving Elsa and Fredrik a moment alone.

"Elsa, are you sure this Grand Pabbie can heal Bella?" Fredrik asked her.

"I don't know," said Elsa quietly, looking down at Bella, who was still sleeping. "The most we can do is hope. Hope that he will be able to heal her, and if he can't, then hope that he'll be able to help us find a way to heal her." She was silent for a moment, and her vision started to blur as her eyes welled up with tears. Her voice broke on her next sentence. "I'm so scared, Fredrik. I'm starting to lose faith. What if—"

"Hey, hey," said Fredrik soothingly, wrapping her and Bella in his arms and gently resting his chin on her head. "No more what ifs. We will find a way, and you know I won't rest until both my girls are safe, well, and happy."

"I know," said Elsa. "But it's my job to worry."

"And it's my job to ease those worries," said Fredrik, breaking away from her and looking deep into her eyes.

"I guess we make a great team," said Elsa quietly, smiling.

"I knew that since before we got married," said Fredrik, smiling back at her, his bright green eyes twinkling with just a hint of mischief.

Just then, a low rumbling alerted the return of Bulda with the troll chief. It was hard to tell with rock trolls, but he was very old, with grizzled, grass-like hair and a long cape made of moss.

"I sense strange magic here," he said. His voice was low and gravelly.

"Grand Pabbie," said Kristoff, going over to him and kneeling down in front of him.

"Is it Anna again?" Grand Pabbie asked.

"No, no, she's fine," Kristoff answered. "It's Elsa's daughter. She has some kind of illness, but the doctor can't figure out for sure what it is. We think it might be magic-related."

"Bring her to me," said Grand Pabbie.

Elsa, still holding a sleeping Bella, came over and knelt down next to Kristoff. Grand Pabbie placed a hand gently on her head. "She has your power," he said softly.

"Yes," said Elsa. She felt Fredrik come up to stand behind her.

"Born with it or cursed?" Grand Pabbie asked.

"We're not sure," Elsa answered. "If she was born with it, she didn't show it until about two weeks ago. But I think it might be the cause of her strange illness."

"Hmm," said Grand Pabbie thoughtfully. "She is very cold, much like your sister was when Kristoff first brought her here." He ran his hand across the entire length of Bella's body, as though he was feeling for something. "I thought as much," he whispered.

"What is it?" Fredrik asked urgently.

"She has ice inside her," Grand Pabbie answered.

Elsa exchanged worried looks with Fredrik. It was just what she had feared.

"Can't you remove it?" Anna asked, looking from Grand Pabbie, to Elsa and Bella, and then back again.

"I cannot," Grand Pabbie said sadly.

Elsa looked back up at Fredrik. Her eyes once again shone with tears. He knelt down next to her and she buried her face in his chest.

"But there must be something you can do!" said Anna heatedly.

"You didn't let me finish," said Grand Pabbie. "I cannot help her, but there might be something that can."

There was complete silence. No one spoke for at least a whole minute.

"Wait, what?" said Anna.

"Bring me the ice crystal," Grand Pabbie said to Bulda, who rolled away and returned a few minutes later with a small, icy blue crystal. "This is the ice crystal," he explained, holding it out to them. "It was formed from a centuries-old glacier that passed through this land. It is the most powerful of all crystals."

"And you think it will help Bella?" Elsa asked.

"I do not know for sure," Grand Pabbie answered. "I only know of one instance when it was used."

"What happened?" Anna asked.

"The person or being was affected much the same way as your niece," Grand Pabbie said. "The crystal was placed over their heart to try to attract the ice inside them. The crystal glowed brightly and then dimmed."

"What happened then?" Elsa asked.

"Now that is what I am not sure of," said Grand Pabbie. "We do not know if the ice inside them was removed when the crystal glowed or if it was just the crystal's reaction to the magic."

"But you still think it can help?" Anna asked. "I mean, you wouldn't have mentioned it if you didn't."

Grand Pabbie smiled. "You are a smart young woman, Princess," he said. "You miss nothing."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," said Anna, smiling back. "But thanks."

"You mustn't be so modest, Princess," said Grand Pabbie.

Kristoff cleared his throat. "Getting back to the matter at hand….."

"Yes, well," said Grand Pabbie. He peeled some moss off a nearby rock and fashioned it into a thong, then attached the crystal to it. "Place the thong loosely about her neck with the crystal over her heart. I do not know how long it will take, but the crystal should glow when it comes in contact with the magic. After that, keep a close watch on her, as I am not sure what will happen."

"Thank you, Grand Pabbie," said Elsa, taking the crystal from him.

"Be very careful with that, Elsa," said Grand Pabbie. "Like I said, it contains very powerful magic."

"I will," said Elsa, tucking the crystal safely in an inside pocket of her dress. She, Fredrik, and Kristoff all stood up.

"It was good to see you all again," said Bulda. "And it was lovely to meet you, Fredrik."

"Likewise," said Fredrik, smiling.

"I hope we can all get together again under happier circumstances," said Bulda.

"Me, too," said Anna.

"I'll keep you updated on what happens," said Kristoff.

"I am sure you will," said Grand Pabbie. "Now hurry. Time is of the essence."

Everyone said goodbye to the rest of the trolls and then made their way back to the sled for the return trip home.

* * *

**Well, there you have it. They may have found a cure for Bella's "illness". But you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out if it'll work.**

**Now, I'm thinking that there will be at least two more chapters. Chapter 6 will have them waiting for Bella to get better and chapter 7 will be a closure chapter. Elsa may have a happy announcement at the end of this story. But I'm not gonna tell you what it is. You'll have to wait and see. :)**

**Thanks for reading! Another chapter coming soon! :)**


	6. Waiting Game

**Oh my goodness. Can this be true? A new chapter in less than a week? I can't believe it myself! I spent so much time on the previous chapters, I felt I owed it to you guys to get another one out in less time. So here it is, chapter 6! I'm not saying anything other than I hope you'll be very happy by the end of it. Thank you for the reviews, faves, and follows. Even though there aren't as many I'd like, they make me happy. Anyway, hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Waiting Game**

The trip back down the mountain was just as quiet and subdued as the trip up, not just because everyone was tired (though that was part of the reason), but also because they were reflecting on everything that had been said. Elsa, in particular, couldn't get Grand Pabbie's words out of her head: _She has ice inside her. She has ice inside her._ While she was happy that they had found a possible cure for Bella's "illness", she was also worried that it wouldn't work and she would lose her little snowflake.

Always perceptive, Anna looked back behind at her sister and, seeing that she had that familiar look of worry on her face, she took her hand. "Elsa?" she said. Elsa didn't say anything, so she continued. "Everything will be fine. When we get home, you'll put the crystal around Bella's neck like Grand Pabbie told you and it'll draw the magic out."

"But what if it doesn't?" Elsa asked quietly.

Anna didn't have an answer to that.

By the time they arrived back in Arendelle, the sky was beginning to get light. Sunrise wasn't far away. Kristoff led Sven to the stables, where he unhitched him, rubbed him down, and supplied him with carrots. They all trooped back into the castle, dragging their feet. It had been a long night. Anna's legs felt like lead by the time they reached their private wing and she was trying not to yawn, with little success.

"I think I'm going to lie down for a while," she said to Elsa, trying to stifle a huge yawn. "Unless you want me to stay with you and Bella?"

"No, that's okay, Anna," said Elsa, giving her a one-armed hug. "Fredrik will keep me company."

"Are you sure?" Anna asked, yawning again.

"I'm sure," said Elsa, smiling as yet another huge yawn overtook Anna. "You and Kristoff go and get some rest."

"Okay," said Anna. "Let us know if anything happens."

"I will," said Elsa. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, later," said Anna sleepily, and she and Kristoff disappeared into their room.

Elsa smiled and made her way into the nursery, where she laid Bella back down in her crib. She pulled back the blanket to check how far the ice had crept. Her fingers were now completely iced over. Quickly, she took the ice crystal out of her pocket, but before she could put it around her daughter's neck, she heard hurried footsteps and Kirsten came running in. She was wearing her nightgown and her hair was a mess of curls on her shoulders.

"Auntie Elsa! Uncle Fwedwik!" she said, running over to Elsa and giving her a hug.

"Hello, Sunshine," said Elsa, bending down and hugging her back.

"I missed you," said Kirsten when they had broken apart.

"Well, guess what? I missed you, too," said Elsa, smiling at her niece. "Where are Auntie Cathrine and Uncle Anders?"

"Still seeping," Kirsten answered. "I sneaked out quietly."

Elsa was a bit startled at this information. "You sleep with them?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," said Kirsten. "And Susanna, too. Auntie Cathwine said I should stay out of my woom until Bella's not sick no more."

"And she's right," said Elsa. _I'll_ _have to remember to thank them later,_ she thought. "Now, what are you doing up so early?"

"I heard you and Mama talking," said Kirsten. "Were you talking about Bella?"

"Yes, we were talking about Bella," Elsa answered.

"You sounded sad," said Kirsten.

Elsa smiled. _Just like her mother,_ she thought. _She notices everything._ "We weren't sad, Sunshine, just tired," she said.

Kirsten gasped excitedly. "Is Bella not sick no more? Can I see her?"

Elsa's smile faltered a little. "I'm afraid she's still sick," she said.

"Aw," said Kirsten, puckering her lips in a pout. "But I wanna pway with her. I hasn't seed her in _ages_."

"I know, sweetie," said Elsa, tucking a piece of hair behind Kirsten's ear.

"Are Mama and Papa home, too?" Kirsten asked.

"Yes, they are, but they're sleeping right now," Elsa replied. "So you need to be quiet and not disturb them. You know your mama doesn't like being woken up."

"Okay," said Kirsten, hanging her head sadly.

"Tell you what," said Elsa. "Let me get Bella settled and then you, me, and Uncle Fredrik can have breakfast together."

"Okay!" said Kirsten, perking up again.

Elsa smiled and stood up. She placed the thong with the ice crystal on it loosely around Bella's neck, with the crystal directly over her heart, as Grand Pabbie had instructed.

"Elsa," said Fredrik, who had been quiet during this whole exchange. "Who's going to look after Bella while we're not here?"

"The same person who looked after her when we went on our picnic yesterday," Elsa answered. _Yesterday, _she thought. Had it really only been yesterday? So much had happened since then, it seemed like such a long time ago.

She then called for Gerda and explained to her about the crystal and asked if she could stay with Bella for a little while. Gerda readily agreed. Elsa thanked her and told her to inform her immediately if there were any changes. She then took Kirsten's hand and Fredrik took the other, so she was between them, and the three of them made their way downstairs.

"Auntie Elsa, where are we going?" Kirsten asked as they passed the family's small, private dining room.

"Well, since it's just the three of us, I thought we'd eat in the kitchen," said Elsa, smiling down at her. "Is that okay?"

"I guess," said Kirsten. "But I'm still in my nightgown."

"I know," said Elsa. "But only Cook will be in there right now, so she'll be the only one to see you."

"Okay," said Kirsten.

They soon came to a long hallway with a flagged stone floor and torches in brackets lining the walls. Elsa smiled as she remembered her earliest excursion down here with Anna. She had been six and Anna had been three. They had been playing in their room when Anna had smelled chocolate and dragged Elsa down here. She recognized one door as being the first one they had tried, which she now knew was always kept locked. She had never found out what was in there. The door right next to it she knew was full of jars of fruit and pickled vegetables. She went to the one directly across from it and pulled it open to reveal the kitchen. It was a long, somewhat narrow room, with two large stoves on one side and a big fireplace on the other. Dozens of shelves holding various ingredients lined the walls, and the center was dominated by a long, rough wooden table.

They heard shuffling footsteps and an older, plump woman with raven-colored hair pulled back in a bun came into view.

"Your Majesty!" she yelped in surprise, almost dropping the tray of dough she had been about to put in the oven.

"Good morning, Cook Hilde," said Elsa, smiling at her.

"What can I do for you, Your Majesty?" Cook Hilde asked, setting down the tray of dough and wiping her hands on her apron.

"We were wondering if you could prepare us an early breakfast," Elsa answered.

"Of course, Your Majesty," said Cook Hilde. "Anything special you would like?"

"Oh, you don't have to trouble yourself," said Elsa, waving a hand dismissively. "Just porridge and some fruit will be fine."

"Right away, Your Majesty," said Cook Hilde, bobbing a curtsy. She put the dough in the oven to bake and then set about preparing the porridge.

About ten minutes later, there was a steaming bowl of porridge in front of each of the royals, with a sprinkle of cinnamon on one for Kirsten. There was also a bowl of fresh fruit and a pitcher of orange juice.

When they had finished eating, Elsa and Fredrik took Kirsten back upstairs. Cook Hilde said she would keep the porridge warm for when everyone else was ready to come down, and Elsa thanked her.

When they had reached the nursery, Elsa knelt down so she could talk to Kirsten. "Now, I want you to go back with Auntie Cathrine and Uncle Anders."

"Can I peek at Bella first?" Kirsten asked.

Elsa smiled sadly. "Not right now, sweetie," she said. "Maybe later, okay?"

"Aw, but I miss her," said Kirsten.

"I know you do, sweetie," said Elsa. "And it makes me so happy that you want to spend time with her. But she needs to be left alone so she can get better. Okay?"

"Okay," said Kirsten.

"That's my girl," said Elsa, pulling her into a hug. "Now off you go."

Kirsten scurried back to the room where Cathrine and Anders were undoubtedly still sleeping.

"Shall we go see how our little snowflake is doing?" Elsa asked Fredrik.

"I think she's doing just fine," said Fredrik, putting his arms around her and smiling.

Elsa smiled back. "I was talking about Bella," she said, gently pushing him away and walking into the nursery. Gerda was sitting in the rocking chair next to Bella's crib. She stood up when Elsa entered the room.

"Your Majesty," she said, bobbing a curtsy.

"Gerda," said Elsa, inclining her head. "No change?"

"None, Your Majesty," said Gerda.

Elsa nodded. In a way, it was good, and in others, not so much. But at least nothing had happened while she, Fredrik, and Kirsten had been at breakfast.

"Is my sister still asleep?" she asked.

"As far as I know, Your Majesty," Gerda answered. "I haven't heard a sound from their room."

Elsa smiled. She'd expected as much. It had only been about an hour or so since they had returned, and as tired as Anna was, she was likely to sleep the rest of the morning at the most.

"Thank you for your help, Gerda," she said. "I really do appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Your Majesty," said Gerda. "Anything I can do." She curtsied again and then left the room.

Elsa went over to the crib to check on Bella. She was still asleep, as she had been the last week and a half. The only difference now was the small ice crystal hanging loosely around her neck. Her fingers were still blue with ice, but it seemed to have stopped spreading, at least for now. Could the ice crystal already be working? Elsa decided it was too soon to tell, but she couldn't help being a little hopeful.

"How's she doing?" Fredrik asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her.

"The same," Elsa sighed. "But it looks like the ice has stopped spreading since I put the crystal on."

"Well, that's good isn't it?" Fredrik asked.

"In a way," Elsa answered. She didn't want to tell him that she was hopeful it was. She didn't want to give a definite answer if she wasn't sure herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by a huge yawn. She tried to cover it up, but Fredrik noticed.

"Okay, to bed with you," said Fredrik, turning her around and gently pushing her down onto the cot that still sat next to Bella's crib.

"I'm not tired," said Elsa through another big yawn.

"Yes, you are," said Fredrik, sitting down next to her. "You haven't slept much since Bella took ill. You need to sleep."

"But what about Bella?" Elsa asked, trying to stifle yet another yawn.

"She'll be fine," Fredrik answered. "You need to get some rest."

"Okay," Elsa conceded. She laid down, Fredrik beside her, her back to his front. "You won't leave me?" she asked.

"Never," Fredrik answered, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "I love you."

But Elsa had already fallen asleep, so Fredrik just smiled and kissed her hair before he, too, fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

_Elsa woke to the sun poking her in the eyes. She opened them and saw tall grass gently swaying in the summer breeze. Curious, she sat up and found that she was in a meadow full of wildflowers. Actually, they all seemed to be the same flowers: blue and white anemones, her favorite. _

_Suddenly deciding that she wanted to take a walk, she stood up and started leisurely wandering around the meadow, picking flowers as she went. When she had a small bouquet, she held them to her nose and closed her eyes as she breathed in their sweet scent. She had never smelled anything so wonderful in her whole life. When she opened them, she suddenly noticed a figure off in the distance. It was hard to tell from this far away, but it appeared to be female. She started walking towards the figure and as she got closer, she saw that it was indeed female, a young girl, to be exact, of about thirteen years of age. She had long, curly, dark-brown hair and was wearing a floaty, dark-blue, calf-length dress. As Elsa approached, the girl turned, and Elsa found herself staring at…..._

_Herself._

_Apart from her dark hair, the girl was an exact replica of Elsa. She had the same icy blue eyes, the same curved nose, the same full, dark pink lips. There were even freckles sprinkled across her nose, so light you wouldn't see them unless you were looking for them. Thinking she was seeing things, Elsa closed her eyes for a few seconds and then opened them again. But the girl was still there, looking the same as she did before. Elsa blinked, and the girl did the same. She looked so familiar, somehow._

_Finding her voice, Elsa asked, "Who are you?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the girl heard her as though she had spoken loud and clear. She smiled, and her blue eyes sparkled._

"_Don't you recognize me?" she asked, in the same soft, soothing voice that Elsa herself spoke with._

"_No," said Elsa shakily. "Should I?"_

_The girl smiled wider, showing even, white teeth. "It's me, Mama. Bella-Grace. Or Bella as you like to call me," she said._

_Elsa started. No, it couldn't be, she thought. Her Bella was only a year old, still a baby, not this young adolescent standing before her._

_Bella seemed to know what she was thinking, for she said, "I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. I'm your daughter. Well, an older version, anyway." She shrugged her shoulders._

_Elsa thought for another minute. If she was looking at and speaking with an older version of her daughter, then that meant…..._

"_I'm in the future," she said softly._

"_Yes," said Bella, nodding her head. "About twelve years, to be exact."_

_Elsa stared silently at her. Something still didn't make sense. "Why am I here?" she asked._

_Bella tilted her head slightly to the right. "You're dreaming," she said, as though that were obvious._

_Elsa figured that. Nothing like this could happen in the waking world. What she wanted to know was why she was here in this particular moment in time. "No, why am I here?" she asked, gesturing around at the meadow. "Why are you here, with me, in this exact moment?"_

_Bella's eyes widened in understanding, and she smiled. "To give you a message," she said._

"_What message?" Elsa asked._

"_To let you know that I'm right here," Bella answered, taking Elsa's hands. They were the exact same cool temperature. "That I'll always be right here. I'll never leave you."_

"_But—" Elsa started, but found she couldn't finish._

"_You're worried about my illness," said Bella, finishing her thought for her. "Well, don't be. You see this?" She held up a leather cord with an icy blue crystal on it, which Elsa hadn't noticed until now. She gasped._

"_That's the crystal—"_

"_That Grand Pabbie gave you," Bella finished. "Yes. You see, this crystal has magical healing powers."_

"_How do you know it heals?" Elsa asked. "Grand Pabbie himself wasn't even sure."_

"_I'm right here, aren't I?" Bella asked, smiling._

"_You mean—" Elsa swallowed and started again. "You mean it worked?"_

_Bella's smile widened. "That is for you to decide," she said simply._

_Elsa was confused. "What do you mean?" she asked._

"_Open your eyes, and you will see."_

* * *

Elsa's eyes flew open. She lay still, trying to orient herself. Her eyes travelled around the room, taking in her surroundings. She was still in the nursery, on the cot next to Bella's crib. A light breathing on the back of her neck told her that Fredrik was asleep next to her. Not sure yet what had woken her, she lay quiet, listening to Fredrik's steady breathing.

But after a few minutes, she couldn't lay still any longer, so she decided to get up and check on Bella. The sun was now streaming through the western-facing window, filling the room with bright, golden sunlight. Elsa guessed it to be about early afternoon. As she had fallen asleep sometime in the early morning, she figured she must've slept for several hours at least. The good thing, though, was that she felt more refreshed than she had been in days.

She approached Bella's crib, hardly daring to hope that anything would be different. She looked down at her daughter, and at first glance, everything appeared to be the same. Her eyes were still closed in slumber and the ice crystal still hung about her neck. Elsa was just about to turn away when she noticed something. Was it a trick of the light, or had the ice retreated so that it was only covering Bella's fingertips? As she watched, the ice crystal suddenly glowed bright for a few seconds and then dimmed. She looked back at Bella's fingers and saw that the ice had disappeared completely.

Elsa covered her mouth in shock, hardly daring to believe it as she watched her daughter finally open her eyes.

"Fredrik!" she said, hurrying back over to the cot where he was sleeping. "Fredrik, wake up! Quick!" When he didn't open his eyes right away, she roughly shook him

Fredrik opened his eyes but it took him a while to register where he was and what Elsa was saying. He looked around at her and saw her anxious face. "Elsa, what is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Bella!" said Elsa by way of explanation.

"Is she okay?" Fredrik asked, sitting up, suddenly wide awake. A worried look had crossed his face.

"She's awake, Fredrik!" Elsa exclaimed. "Our daughter's awake!" She ran out into the hall and shouted, "Everyone! Come quick!"

A door opened a little way down the hall and Anna poked her head out. It appeared she had been awake for a couple hours at least. Her hair was freshly brushed and braided and she had changed her dress. "Elsa, what is it?" she asked. "Has something happened?"

"Bella's awake!" Elsa said.

Anna squealed loudly. "Kristoff, Bella's awake!" she shouted back into the room before running to Elsa and giving her a crushing hug. "I knew she'd get better!"

"How?" Elsa asked, breaking away from her.

"Well, you know me," said Anna, smiling. "I never give up hope on anyone."

Shuffling footsteps announced Kristoff's arrival. He, too, had changed into fresh clothes. "Did I hear Feisty Pants correctly?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips. "Bella's awake?"

"Yes, she is, Kristoff," said Elsa, smiling widely. She hadn't smiled so much in a long time.

"Elsa, that's wonderful!" he said, and he, too, gave her a big hug.

They heard more footsteps and looked around to see Anders and Cathrine coming towards them, Kirsten and Susanna in tow.

"We heard some excited shouting and had to investigate the source," said Anders, smiling.

"Well, actually, Kirsten heard it first and alerted us to it," Cathrine corrected, handing Susanna over to Anna. "I take it you have some happy news?"

"Very happy news," said Elsa, smiling again. "Bella's awake."

"Yay!" Kirsten shouted excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Elsa, that's wonderful!" Cathrine said, echoing Kristoff's words. She pulled her into a hug. Elsa broke apart when she felt Kirsten tugging on her skirt. She knelt down in front of her and Kirsten wrapped her arms tightly around Elsa's neck.

When Kirsten broke away from her, she asked, "Auntie Elsa, are you happy again?"

"I'm very happy, Sunshine," said Elsa, smiling at her.

"Bella's not sick no more?" Kirsten asked.

"No, she's not sick anymore," Elsa answered.

Kirsten gasped. "Can I see her?"

"Of course you can, sweetie," said Elsa, and she took her niece by the hand and led her back into the nursery, Anna, Kristoff, Anders, and Cathrine following.

Fredrik was still standing by Bella's crib, but he was now holding her in his arms. When Bella saw her mother, she reached out her hands and Elsa took her in her arms. Bella looked up into her eyes.

"Mama?" she said.

Elsa's eyes filled with tears as she smiled and took her little girl's hand. It was no longer icy cold but its normal, cool temperature. "Yes, my little snowflake, I'm right here," she said, kissing her cheek. "I will always be right here." She then hugged her tightly, never wanting to let her go again.

* * *

**YAY! Bella's awake and well again! I hope you're happy with the end of this chapter, 'cause I know I am! :)**

**NOTE: I thought it'd be interesting to add that little dream that Elsa has, where an older Bella reassures her that everything will be fine. **

**Thanks for reading! Last chapter coming soon! :)**


	7. Life is Beautiful

**Hello, everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter! Well, here we are, the end of another story. I'm so sorry it took so long to get through, but I want to thank you for joining me on this wild ride. And thank you so much to those of you who were kind enough to review, fave, and follow. You made it worth coming back. Enjoy this final installment of "Life is Beautiful"! :) **

* * *

**Chapter 7: Life is Beautiful**

_2 months later….._

The days started getting shorter, the air cooler, and the leaves on the trees started changing. The wind picked up some, bringing a cold breeze off the fjord. Summer in Arendelle was coming to its inevitable conclusion, and as the days crept on, more and more villagers were seen wearing light cloaks while out and about, maybe stopping for a few moments to chat before hurrying on their way, too keen on getting to their warm houses to stay outside for very long. Other villagers were seen stocking up on firewood for the long winter that was sure to come.

Elsa, on the other hand, was the one person who was actually looking forward to the change of season. One could say that she was the complete opposite of her sister. Whereas Anna embodied the bright and sunny warmth of summer, Elsa embodied the cold frostiness of winter. When her magic had still been out of control, it had been easier to pass off her "accidents" as natural in winter than in any other season. But whether or not it had anything to do with her magic, Elsa loved the patterns and designs the ice and frost made on the windowsills. She felt it added a sparkling beauty in an otherwise gray and bleak season. At least, that's how Anna saw it. Every year, no matter how often she had said it over the years, she would always express her displeasure with winter.

"It's so cold and dark and miserable," she'd say. "I don't understand why anyone would like it. Besides you, that is." She'd smile back at Elsa. They'd be sitting in front of the fire in the library or the sitting room, Anna sitting as close to the fire as she could get without burning herself, wrapped in a thick, warm blanket and holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Elsa, not really liking the heat, would be sitting a few feet away.

"Well, I find it to be a beautiful season," said Elsa, smiling back.

"Yeah, that's pretty much the only good thing about it," said Anna, and she'd scoot closer to Elsa and snuggle against her.

Elsa smiled at those memories. They were some of her favorites. Actually, she'd been doing a lot of smiling lately. What with Bella overcoming her strange illness and Elsa herself having received even happier news just shortly after, she'd been flitting happily around the castle. This was so out of character for her that Anna asked her if there was something she wanted to share with her. Elsa had said no, that she was just happy, but Anna wasn't convinced. She'd been keeping a close eye on her sister ever since.

Unfortunately, the closing of summer meant that their visitors' stay was also drawing to a close. While Elsa had been happy to see some new faces for a while, she knew they couldn't stay forever, something she had tried to impress upon Anna when she had expressed her sadness at them leaving. To lift Anna's spirits, she had then suggested that they give their visitors a special going-away party. Anna immediately lit up and started rattling off a list of what should be done (or, at least, what she thought should be done). Not wanting to disappoint her further, Elsa decided to just go along with Anna's suggestions, so long as they weren't overly extravagant. Of course, Anna had insisted on serving soup, roast, and ice cream, but couldn't decide on what kind of soup or what kind of ice cream. That was why this morning, a couple days before Cathrine and Anders' departure, Fredrik found Elsa sitting at the desk in her study poring over an extensive list of possible soup and ice cream flavors.

"Ah, there's my beautiful wife!" He smiled as he came into the room. Elsa smiled back and he leaned in for a kiss, which she happily reciprocated. "Where are the girls?" he asked, meaning, of course, their daughter and nieces.

"Well, Anna and Cathrine took Kirsten and Bella outside," Elsa answered, looking back at the lists. "I imagine Anders is out and about somewhere, as well. Kristoff was going to spend some time with Sven, but seeing as Nanny Hanne has the day off and Gerda is busy elsewhere, he decided to stay inside with Susanna."

"Wow, Kristoff's become a real family man, hasn't he?" Fredrik asked.

"Yes, he's become a real softie in the years since he and Anna met," Elsa agreed, still looking at the lists. "He loves his girls and would do anything to protect them."

Fredrik smiled. He then noticed the papers on Elsa's desk. "What's all this?" he asked, perching himself on the edge of the desk.

"Anna wants my help with planning your brother and sister-in-law's farewell dinner," Elsa sighed. "She of course insisted that we serve soup, roast, and ice cream, but for once in her life, she can't decide which kind of soup or which flavor of ice cream."

Fredrik leaned forward a bit to look at the lists and let out a low whistle. "Wow," he said. "I didn't know there were so many possible flavors of ice cream."

"Yes, but isn't it just like Anna to know something like that?" Elsa asked, massaging her temples, something which did not go unnoticed by Fredrik.

"Elsa, are you sure you should be doing this?" he asked, concern in his voice. "You know stress isn't good for you right now."

"Fredrik, I'm fine," said Elsa, trying to reassure him. "Besides, I can use the distrac—" But just then, she was overcome with a sudden wave of nausea and she ran out of the room, her hand over her mouth. She barely made it to the nearest bathroom before she threw up the contents of her breakfast. She felt someone rubbing her back gently and knew that Fredrik had followed her. She loved him so much for having put up with this for the last two months.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Elsa nodded and wiped her mouth before allowing Fredrik to help her stand back up. He put his arm around her and led her back to their room, where he promptly sat her down on the bed and resumed rubbing her back, a comforting gesture that she truly enjoyed.

After a few moments of silence, Fredrik asked quietly, "When are you going to tell her?"

"Who?" Elsa asked, though she knew perfectly well who Fredrik was talking about.

"Anna," said Fredrik. "When are you going to tell her?"

Elsa shrugged her shoulders, but didn't say anything. Fredrik sighed.

"Elsa, you have to tell her," he said gently. "She's your sister. She deserves to know. If you wait too long, she'll find out herself, without you telling her."

"I know," said Elsa quietly. "I will tell her, I promise. Just…..not yet. I don't want to take attention away from Anders and Cathrine on their last couple of days."

"Well, all right then," said Fredrik, leaning in to kiss her. But he pulled back almost immediately, wrinkling his nose.

"What?" Elsa asked, looking at him curiously.

"Your breath stinks," he said, smirking at her.

"Hey!" said Elsa defensively, crossing her arms. "It's not my fault I'm feeling like this."

"I know, love, I'm sorry," said Fredrik, taking her hand and kissing the palm.

"I forgive you," said Elsa, smiling.

"But you really should freshen your breath," said Fredrik teasingly.

"I suppose I could go down to the kitchens and ask Gerda for some mint leaves to chew on," said Elsa thoughtfully. "And if you're good, maybe later I'll let you taste some of it." She smiled seductively.

"I feel that if I taste it once, I won't be able to stop," said Fredrik huskily, leaning in again until their foreheads touched.

"That's the idea," Elsa whispered, before breaking away from him, standing up, and making her way to the door. She flashed another smile at him over her shoulder before she disappeared into the hallway.

On her way down, she ran into Anna and Cathrine, who had just come in with Kirsten and Bella. Anna had Bella on her hip and Kirsten was holding Cathrine's hand. When she saw her aunt, she ran to give her a hug.

"Auntie Elsa!" she said happily.

"Hello, Sunshine," said Elsa, breaking away and smiling at her. "Did you have fun outside?"

"Uh-huh!" said Kirsten. "I tried making a daisy chain for you, but the flowers were too droopy."

"Oh, that's okay, sweetheart," said Elsa. "It's the thought that counts."

"Where are you off to, Elsa?" Anna asked.

"The kitchens," Elsa answered. "I was going to ask Gerda for some mint leaves."

"Mint leaves?" Anna asked. "For what?"

"For tea," Elsa lied easily. "I've got a bit of an upset stomach, and mint tea usually helps settle it. It's what Mama always gave me when I was little."

"Oh," said Anna, but she looked unconvinced.

"Mama!" said Bella suddenly.

Elsa stood up to take her daughter in her arms. "Oh, my beautiful girl," she said, kissing her before settling her on her hip. "I'm sorry I haven't been spending much time with you, Cathrine." She smiled apologetically at her sister-in-law.

"Oh, that's all right, Elsa," said Cathrine, smiling. "You've been busy with the party. Which, may I remind you, is completely unnecessary."

"Oh, will you stop?" said Elsa playfully, smiling back. "It's no trouble. Besides, Anna insisted."

"Well, then, we're flattered," said Cathrine.

"That reminds me," said Anna, addressing Elsa. "Did you pick a flavor of soup and ice cream yet?"

"Oh," said Elsa. "I'm sorry, Anna, but I got interrupted." She tried not to look at her sister, who was eyeing her suspiciously.

"Why don't I leave you two to discuss things?" said Cathrine. She gently took Bella from Elsa and grasped Kirsten's hand. "Come along, dear. Maybe I can help you make a paper daisy chain."

"Yay!" said Kirsten, and she followed Cathrine down the hall and out of sight.

Elsa looked back at Anna and saw that she was still watching her. "What?" she asked.

"Just thinking," Anna answered. "It's not like you to get distracted. And since when do you get an upset stomach?"

"More often than you think," Elsa answered. "It's just stress."

"Stress?" Anna repeated.

"Yes, Anna, stress," said Elsa. "You know I've had a lot on my mind the past few weeks, planning this party and all."

"Are you sure?" Anna asked, still not convinced.

"Anna, I told you, I'm fi—" But just then, Elsa put her hand to her head. She was suddenly overcome by a wave of dizziness and swayed on her feet. She would have toppled to the floor had Anna not caught her. "Guess not," she said.

Anna helped her up and led her over to a cushioned bench, where they sat down, Anna's arm still around her shoulders. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I think so," said Elsa.

"Have you seen a doctor about this?" Anna asked.

"Yes, but he said it's nothing serious," Elsa answered. "And it doesn't last very long, just a few minutes."

"Well, that's good," said Anna in relief. "I was worried that maybe…..Look, I'm sorry to have sprung all this party planning on you. If I'd have known—"

"Anna, it's okay," said Elsa, smiling at her reassuringly.

"No, it's not," said Anna. "I'm making you work too hard. Why don't you go upstairs and rest a bit? I'll have Gerda make you that tea and then I'll bring it up for you, okay?"

"Actually, I could use some rest after my spell," Elsa agreed. She was referring to more than just her dizziness, but Anna wasn't to know that. "But I'm sure Fredrik can get it for me, too. I don't want to take you away from your party planning."

"Elsa, I'm your sister," said Anna, taking Elsa's hands in her own. "Sisters are supposed to take care of each other."

"Well," said Elsa hesitantly. "All right then. I'm sure I can find something to keep Fredrik occupied for a while." She smiled a little mischievously.

"Good," said Anna, also smiling. She helped Elsa up and then nudged her towards the stairs. "Now go. You take care of me all the time, and now it's my turn to return the favor by taking care of you."

* * *

The next couple of days passed by in a blur and all too soon, it was the evening before Anders and Cathrine's departure. After a little coaxing from Anna, Elsa had used some of her icy powers to decorate the family's private dining room. Glittering frost clung to the walls and delicate icicles dangled from the ceiling. As beautiful as they were, though, these decorations weren't as intricate as they usually were. She had had her usual spell that morning, which had zapped a bit of her energy and therefore a bit of her magic. It was getting harder and harder to keep her secret from Anna, and she didn't know how much longer she would be able to hide it without Anna finding out herself. Now that it had been almost three months, it wouldn't be long before it would become obvious.

But it was while she and Fredrik were in their room getting ready for the party that Elsa thought she noticed a change. She was standing in front of the full-length mirror in just her chemise and shift, running her hands along her front.

"Fredrik, do you notice anything different?" Elsa asked, turning this way and that to see if she could get a better view.

"Why, yes I do," said Fredrik, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're positively glowing." He smiled at her in the mirror.

"That's not what I mean and you know it," said Elsa. "I mean, is there anything showing yet?"

"Well, there is a little bump," said Fredrik, putting his hands over hers. "But it's probably just a little bit of fat."

"Fredrik!" said Elsa, playfully slapping his hands away.

"Don't worry, love, you're still thin," said Fredrik, kissing her cheek. "It'll probably be another month or two before anything is really noticeable."

"And then I'll look fat," said Elsa, pouting.

"Not to me," said Fredrik, turning her around to face him. "And not to your sister or anyone else. Now come on; finish dressing so we can go down to the party."

After Elsa dressed in a lightweight, loose-fitting dress of periwinkle, she and Fredrik fetched Bella and made their way down to the dining room, where they could hear voices. Everyone else was already there. Anna, Kristoff, Kirsten (who was in her raised seat), and Susanna (who was on her mother's lap) were all sitting to the right of the head chair, and Anders and Cathrine were sitting to the left. Anna was chattering away to Cathrine about something, and Kristoff was talking to Anders about his ice business. Elsa put Bella in her high chair and then she and Fredrik went and stood by their respective chairs. Elsa cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Before we begin, I just wanted to say what a great pleasure it's been having two such special guests visiting these past two and a half months." She smiled at Anders and Cathrine, who both smiled back. "I hope that there will be many more visits to come. Now, let us all enjoy this last, wonderful evening with our guests."

Elsa sat down next to Fredrik, and that seemed to be the cue for Gerda to come bustling in with the first course. Due to Elsa's spell a couple of days ago, Anna had taken back the task of planning the menu. She had finally decided on Elsa's favorite, French onion soup. Having had yet another spell that morning, Elsa was feeling a little tired and weak, so the soup and the roast lamb that followed helped greatly, and she was almost back to normal by the time dessert came, which was double chocolate ice cream with hot fudge, Anna's personal choice.

When everyone had finished eating, Kristoff moved to sit with Fredrik and Anders and Cathrine moved to sit with Anna and Elsa, both of them having divested themselves of their older children, who were now playing quietly in a corner where their mothers could keep an eye on them. Susanna was still nestled in Anna's arms. The men were now nursing mugs of ale and the women were drinking sweet cider.

"We're so glad you were able to come," said Anna, taking a sip of her cider. "I hope the unexpected events from two months ago don't deter you from any future visits." She glanced at Elsa as if expecting some kind of reaction, but her sister's face remained impassive, almost like she hadn't heard what Anna had just said. She had always been good at putting on a mask.

"Oh no, not at all," Cathrine reassured, directing her comment at Elsa in particular. "Like you said, it was unexpected, and nothing that could have been prevented." She smiled at Elsa.

"You're right," Elsa said finally. "I feel it was only a matter of time before Bella's powers became apparent. I suppose I should be happy that it happened sooner rather than later. That was my biggest worry." She fiddled with the stem of her mostly full glass, not looking at either of them.

There was a beat of silence, then Anna said, "Well, that killed the mood", eliciting a chuckle from Cathrine.

Elsa stood up. "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to call it a night."

"But Elsa, it's still early," said Anna, glancing at the grandfather clock in the corner. "It's only a little after nine."

"I'm sorry, Anna, but I've been feeling really low on energy these past few days," said Elsa. _Actually, these last few weeks, _she added to herself.

"Well, okay," said Anna hesitantly. "I guess I'll see you in the morning, then."

Elsa smiled and started making her way out. On her way around the table, she stopped by Fredrik's chair, leaned in, and whispered something in his ear. Fredrik whispered something back and kissed her cheek before she continued on her way. When she had disappeared into the hall, Anna turned concerned eyes on Cathrine.

"Cathrine, I'm worried about Elsa," she said. "She hasn't been herself lately. She's been unusually tired and dizzy. I fear that something might be wrong with her. You don't think it's anything serious, do you?"

Cathrine took a moment before answering, as if she was thinking about something. "No, it's nothing serious," she said finally.

"She's told you, then?" Anna asked, surprised and a little hurt that Elsa wouldn't tell her.

"No, but I'm familiar with her symptoms," Cathrine answered.

"Then you know what it is?" Anna asked eagerly.

"Yes," said Cathrine. "But it's her decision when or even if she'll tell you."

Anna deflated. "Oh, okay," she said. "I guess I'll just have to wait, then." She yawned and stretched an arm above her head. "Actually, I'm pretty tired, too. Besides, it's way past the girls' bedtime. Could you help me?" She and Cathrine stood up and went over to the corner, where Anna persuaded a sleepy Kirsten to follow her and Susanna to the nursery. Cathrine followed close behind with Bella.

Noticing that they were now alone, the men also stood and made their way after their respective partners. When Fredrik entered his and Elsa's room, he saw that she was already lying down. Her back was to him so he couldn't tell if she was asleep or not. He removed his boots, socks, and vest and climbed in next to her. Awake or not, she seemed to sense his presence and snuggled into him. He kissed her softly on her hair.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she whispered back. Fredrik smiled and fell into a blissful sleep.

* * *

The day of Anders and Cathrine's departure dawned clear, bright, and cool. Everyone had woken up early (including Anna, though under protest), eaten a quick breakfast, then hurried down to the docks to see off the ship. They were all dressed in light wool clothes, apart from Elsa, who was just wearing a light cloak. It was too cold for Bella and Susanna to be outside, so they were being watched by Gerda. Being the only one of the girls allowed outside, Kirsten felt very important. She was holding tight to her father's hand while her mother hugged Anders and then Cathrine.

"I'm so glad I got to spend more time with you," she said once they had broken apart. "I wish you could stay longer."

"Oh no," said Cathrine, smiling. "We've intruded on your hospitality long enough already."

"It's never an intrusion," said Elsa, coming forward. "You're always welcome back for another visit."

"Thank you, Elsa," said Anders, smiling and giving her a hug. "I think we'll have to take you up on that."

"You'd better," said Elsa, breaking away from him and smiling back.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he keeps his promise," said Cathrine, smiling up at her husband. "You're too wonderful a person to not get to know."

"That's what I keep telling her," said Anna, smiling.

"And I have to agree with that statement," said Fredrik, taking his turn hugging his sister-in-law.

Elsa just blushed.

The visiting couple then went over to Kirsten, who gave them both tight hugs and a kiss on the cheek. They shook hands with Kristoff, as he was a little uncomfortable hugging people he barely knew. Finally, Cathrine came to Elsa and wrapped her in the tightest hug Elsa had ever received.

"Thank you so much for coming," said Elsa, returning the hug.

"You're welcome," said Cathrine. And then she whispered, "Congratulations on your happy news."

Startled, Elsa pulled away to look at Cathrine, who smiled. "How did you—?" she started.

"I'm an experienced mother of two," said Cathrine, soft enough so only Elsa could hear. "I can sense these things. Plus, your sister's been a bit concerned about you."

_Of course she has_, Elsa thought. _She notices everything. Even if I haven't told her yet, I'm sure she's figured out what's going on with me._

Cathrine seemed to sense what she was thinking. "Don't worry," she said, smiling. "I'm sure she means well."

"I know," said Elsa. "But it's hard to tell sometimes."

Just then, Anders came up behind Cathrine and laid a hand on her shoulder. "The ship is ready," he said. "We'd best be off."

"All right," said Cathrine. "Thank you again for letting us stay." She gave Elsa one last hug before allowing her husband to lead her up the gangplank and onto the ship. The gangplank and anchor were raised and the ship started sailing out of the harbor. Kristoff chatted with Fredrik while still keeping a close eye on Kirsten as she ran to the end of the dock and waved. With them both distracted by the departing vessel, this gave Anna the chance to talk to Elsa without being overheard.

"So," she said, turning to her sister. "What did Cathrine whisper in your ear?"

"What?" said Elsa, looking a bit confused.

"Cathrine," Anna repeated. "What did she whisper in your ear just before she and Anders boarded their ship?"

"She was just saying goodbye," said Elsa, shrugging her shoulders.

"Elsa, that was more than just a goodbye," said Anna, crossing her arms. "What else did she say?"

Elsa didn't say anything at first, wondering how best to phrase what she was about to say. Anna's foot-tapping didn't help, either. Though she would never say it out loud, she found it to be an extremely irritating habit. She decided to just come right out and say it.

"She was just congratulating me on my happy news," said Elsa, the corners of her lips twitching.

"What happy news?" Anna asked. "Does this have anything to do with your nausea and dizziness?"

"As a matter of fact, it does," Elsa replied, unable to keep the smile from her face any longer. "Anna, I'm pregnant."

Anna squealed so loudly Elsa worried she might have gone deaf. "Oh, Elsa, I'm so happy for you!" she said, flinging her arms around her sister and hugging her tight. "This explains everything! How could I have not made the connection?"

"Well, I'm actually kind of glad you didn't," said Elsa once they had broken apart. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well, this is the most wonderful-est surprise ever! Wait, is wonderful-est even a word? Oh, I don't care, I'm just so excited!" Anna started bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, unable to contain her excitement. "How long have you known?"

"Well, I suspected it after I missed my first course, which was just after Anders and Cathrine arrived," Elsa answered. "Despite my high stress level, my courses are fairly regular. I had Fredrik take me to Dr. Olsen and he confirmed my suspicions." She smiled.

"Well, again, that's so wonderful!" said Anna. "So, how far along are you?"

"About two and a half months, I think," Elsa answered. "Give or take a few days."

"Wait, what?" said Anna, her mouth falling open in shock. "Two and a half months? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Like I said, I wanted it to be a surprise," said Elsa, smiling again. "Fredrik wanted me to tell you sooner, but I kept delaying it. I wanted to wait until after Anders and Cathrine left. I didn't want to take attention away from them on their last days in the castle."

"I guess I can understand that," said Anna, shrugging. "So, do you want a boy or girl this time?"

"I'm sure Fredrik would want another girl, but I'm kind of hoping for a boy," said Elsa.

"Why's that?" Anna asked curiously.

"I just think it's the perfect family," Elsa replied. "Not too big, not too small."

"Well, either way, I can't wait to meet the new addition to our growing family," said Anna, smiling. She took Elsa's hand and they walked back over to the others, separating when they got to their respective partners. Fredrik wrapped his arm around Elsa and she leaned into him. He looked down at her and noticed she was still smiling.

"Happy?" he asked, smiling back.

"So happy," Elsa answered. "More than you know."

Fredrik kissed the top of her head and they both looked out over the fjord, which sparkled in the bright morning sunlight. In this moment, Elsa considered herself the happiest person on the face of the earth. She had gone from a life of solitude to one of love and open gates. Her family seemed to be growing every day. She had a sister, brother-in-law, and two nieces. But most importantly, she had her own little family: the wonderful man standing beside her, a beautiful little girl, and now a new life that was growing inside her. Her life was most certainly beautiful.

* * *

**The End!**

**Yay! Elsa's having another baby! And in case you were curious, yes, she got pregnant during her and Fredrik's little tryst at the end of chapter one. ;)**

**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Keep a lookout for future stories! :)**


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